Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology
AP Biology
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
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Judith S. de Nuño
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Chapter Objectives

    1. Explain the difference between innate and learned behaviors
    2. Describe the evolutionary basis for behavioal ecoloty
    3. Explain the difference between ultimate and porximate causations of behavior
    4. Describe a fixed-action pattern and a sign stimulus
    5. Explain the nature versus nurture controversy
    6. Explain the effect of maturation on behavioral improvement
    7. Define habituation
    8. Discuss imprinting, imprinting stimulus, and critical period
    9. Define associative learning
    10. Distinguish abmong classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning
    11. Describe 2 hypotheses for the evolution of play behavior
    12. Discuss the ultimate bases of learning
    13. Describe and define kinesis, taxis, and migration
    14. Explain the differences among piloting, orientation, and navigation
    15. Compare generalist and specialist foraging strategies
    16. Explain how a search image is adaptive
    17. Describe optimal foraging strategies in terms of energetics and prey densities
    18. Describe agonistic behavior
    19. Explain what is meant by a ritual behavior and describe the evolutionary advantage of ritual behavior
    20. Describe a dominance hierarchy and explain the advantages to individuals in the hierarchy
    21. Explain how dominance hierarchies and territories may stabilize population densities
    22. Describe the advantages of courtship
    23. Explain how ritualized courtships may have evolved
    24. Define parental investment
    25. Discuss the untimate bases for mate selection
    26. Compare anc contrast the 3 main mating systems
    27. Describe the differences between polygyny and polyandry
    28. Discuss how the nedds of the young influence the development of mating systems
    29. Describe how the certainty of paternity influences the development of mating systems
    30. Describe the various modes of communication
    31. Relate an animal's mode of communication to its lifestyle
    32. Discuss why altruistic behavior migh evolve
    33. Define inclusive fitness and kin selection
    34. Define reciprocal altruism
    35. Define cognitive ethology
    36. Describe the premise of sociobiology

Chapter Terms:

behavior

ethology

fixed-action pattern

sign stimulus

foraging

search image

learning

maturation

kin selection

imprinting

critical period

associative learning

classical conditioning

operant conditioning

play

cognition

cognitive ethology

cognitive maps

habituation

reciprocal altruism

migration

social behavior

sociobiology

agonistic behavior

ritual

dominance hierarchy

territory

parental investment

kinesis

taxis

monogamous

polygamous

polygyny

polyandry

pheromones

inclusive fitnes

coefficient of relatedness

lek

promiscuous

 

Chapter Outline Framework

    1. Introduction to Behavior and Behavioral Ecology
      1. Behavior results from genes and environmental factors
      2. Innate behavior is developmentally fixed
      3. Classical ethology presage an evolutionary approach to behavioral biology
      4. behavioral ecoloty emphasizes evolutionary hypotheses
    2. Learning
      1. Learning is experience-based modification of behavior
      2. Imprinting is learning limited to a critical time period
      3. Many animals can learn to associate 1 stimulus with another
      4. Practice and exercise may explain the ultimate bases of paly
    3. Animal cognition
      1. The study of cognition connects nervous system function with behavior
        1. Movement from place to place often depends on internal coding of spatial relationships
      2. The study of consciousness poses a unique challenge for scientists
    4. Social Behavior and Sociobiology
      1. Sociobiology places social behavion in an evolutionary context
      2. Competitive social behaviors often represent contests for resources
      3. Mating behavior relates directly to an animal's fitness
      4. Social interactions depend on diverse modes of communication
      5. The concept of inclusive fitness can account for most altruistic behavior
      6. Sociobiology connects evolutionary theory to human culture

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