BIO 1300
BIO 1300 FINAL EXAM 2026 UPDATE
Population
ANSWER Members of a particular species that live in the same area and interact with
each other
Community
ANSWER All of the species living together in a particular area, interacting to form a
functional unit
Ecosystem
ANSWER All living organisms (biotic factors) together with the non-living environment
(abiotic factors) in a specific area, functioning as a system
Biome
ANSWER A major type of ecosystem, categorized by climate, vegetation, and dominant
species
Biosphere
ANSWER The global ecosystem, encompassing all ecosystems and living organisms on
Earth
Innate/instinctive behaviors
ANSWER Behaviors that do not need to be learned or practiced; they are inherited and
automatic
Fixed action pattern
ANSWER A preprogrammed response to a specific stimulus; the concept was developed
by European ethologists in the 1930s
Sign stimulus
ANSWER An external cue that triggers an innate behavior or fixed action pattern
Sociobiology
ANSWER The study of social behavior from an evolutionary perspective, explaining
behaviors in terms of fitness and reproductive success
BIO 1300
, BIO 1300
Eusocial insects
ANSWER Insects such as ants, some bees, some wasps, and termites that live in colonies
with a single breeding female (the queen) and division of labor among castes
Different castes of social insects
ANSWER Workers, soldiers, drones, and queens, each with specialized roles within the
colony
Proximate causes
ANSWER “How” questions about behavior, examining developmental and physiological
mechanisms; for example, how bats use sonar or how birds navigate
Ultimate causes
ANSWER “Why” questions about behavior, focusing on evolutionary explanations and
how behaviors increase survival or reproductive success
Evolution of a trait
ANSWER Changes in a trait over time due to natural selection or other evolutionary
pressures
Fitness
ANSWER An individual’s ability to survive, reproduce, and produce offspring that
themselves survive and reproduce
Inclusive fitness
ANSWER The combination of an individual’s own reproductive success plus the impact
they have on the reproductive success of close relatives
Kin selection
ANSWER Evolutionary strategy that favors behaviors increasing the reproductive success
of close relatives, even at a cost to the individual
Kin selection example
ANSWER Alarm calling in prairie dogs when a predator is near, warning relatives of
danger
Reciprocal altruism
ANSWER Behavior that benefits another individual with the expectation that the favor
will be returned in the future
BIO 1300
BIO 1300 FINAL EXAM 2026 UPDATE
Population
ANSWER Members of a particular species that live in the same area and interact with
each other
Community
ANSWER All of the species living together in a particular area, interacting to form a
functional unit
Ecosystem
ANSWER All living organisms (biotic factors) together with the non-living environment
(abiotic factors) in a specific area, functioning as a system
Biome
ANSWER A major type of ecosystem, categorized by climate, vegetation, and dominant
species
Biosphere
ANSWER The global ecosystem, encompassing all ecosystems and living organisms on
Earth
Innate/instinctive behaviors
ANSWER Behaviors that do not need to be learned or practiced; they are inherited and
automatic
Fixed action pattern
ANSWER A preprogrammed response to a specific stimulus; the concept was developed
by European ethologists in the 1930s
Sign stimulus
ANSWER An external cue that triggers an innate behavior or fixed action pattern
Sociobiology
ANSWER The study of social behavior from an evolutionary perspective, explaining
behaviors in terms of fitness and reproductive success
BIO 1300
, BIO 1300
Eusocial insects
ANSWER Insects such as ants, some bees, some wasps, and termites that live in colonies
with a single breeding female (the queen) and division of labor among castes
Different castes of social insects
ANSWER Workers, soldiers, drones, and queens, each with specialized roles within the
colony
Proximate causes
ANSWER “How” questions about behavior, examining developmental and physiological
mechanisms; for example, how bats use sonar or how birds navigate
Ultimate causes
ANSWER “Why” questions about behavior, focusing on evolutionary explanations and
how behaviors increase survival or reproductive success
Evolution of a trait
ANSWER Changes in a trait over time due to natural selection or other evolutionary
pressures
Fitness
ANSWER An individual’s ability to survive, reproduce, and produce offspring that
themselves survive and reproduce
Inclusive fitness
ANSWER The combination of an individual’s own reproductive success plus the impact
they have on the reproductive success of close relatives
Kin selection
ANSWER Evolutionary strategy that favors behaviors increasing the reproductive success
of close relatives, even at a cost to the individual
Kin selection example
ANSWER Alarm calling in prairie dogs when a predator is near, warning relatives of
danger
Reciprocal altruism
ANSWER Behavior that benefits another individual with the expectation that the favor
will be returned in the future
BIO 1300
