VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 365 EXAM 3 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY |
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
2026/2027
what is the area over which an individual travels over its normal daily movements? - correct answer
✔✔home range
the ability to travel to a particular place from unfamiliar locations is known as? - correct answer ✔✔true
navigation
the ability to go to a particular compass direction is known as? - correct answer ✔✔compass orientation
an inherited genetic mutation that results in the lack of melanin in various structures of the body such as
skin and hair is called what? - correct answer ✔✔albinism
what is it called when you limit one trait for another trait? related to trade offs - correct answer
✔✔altruism
warn predators of toxic or noxious chemicals by the use of bright coloration. opposite of cryptic
coloration - correct answer ✔✔aposematic coloration
round trip, which includes movement to and from an area - correct answer ✔✔migration
one way trip to a particular location, no return to original area - correct answer ✔✔dispersal
interaction between two or more individuals to transmit information that ultimately alters the behavior
of the receiver - correct answer ✔✔communication
organisms that mature early, have many offspring with high mortality rates, and are short lived - correct
answer ✔✔fast life
organisms mature late, have few offspring with low mortality rates, and have long lifespans - correct
answer ✔✔slow life
minimum metabolic rate for a fasting, non-reproducing, resting organism with no thermal stress is called
what? - correct answer ✔✔basal metabolic rate
factors that affect home range size, such as age, diet, population density, and many others are ultimately
related to what? - correct answer ✔✔energetics
what is the movement away from the place of birth called? reduces inbreeding, overcrowding, and
competition with siblings - correct answer ✔✔natal dispersal
what is an organism that keeps its body temperature constant/temperature regulator called? - correct
answer ✔✔homeotherm
, what is an organism whose body temperature changes with the ambient temperature/temperature
conformer called? - correct answer ✔✔poikilotherm
the area around a high priority and limited resource that is actively defended to exclude competitors is
called what? - correct answer ✔✔a territory
what species are born in fresh water and spend their adult lives in salt water? - correct answer
✔✔anadromous species
rely on the environment to keep the metabolic heat production at a desirable temperature because they
cannot produce enough heat needed through internal means - correct answer ✔✔ectotherms
use metabolism to elevate their body temperature - correct answer ✔✔endotherms
when does torpor occur? - correct answer ✔✔when environmental conditions exceed an inidivudal's
capacity for homeostasis
what does torpor do? - correct answer ✔✔greatly reduces body temperature and regulates metabolism
what animal is the migration champion? - correct answer ✔✔arctic tern
freezing is lethal to most amphibians but not all since some have antifreeze inside of their cells know as
what? - correct answer ✔✔cryopotectant
what type of signals are effective at short distances, highly dependent upon light, and include color,
movement, and changes in posture? - correct answer ✔✔visual signals
small mammals like mice have more or less mass-specific metabolic rates than large mammals like a
moose? - correct answer ✔✔more
several different species of fish and reptiles have specialized jaw and head movement to assist in feeding
called what? - correct answer ✔✔pharyngeal jaws
what are chemical substances that are excreted by vertebrates to elicit a response from another
individual? - correct answer ✔✔pheromones
males in polygynous species typically have bigger or smaller home range sizes compared to females
while the opposite would occur in polyandrous species? - correct answer ✔✔bigger
what is a polygynous species? - correct answer ✔✔one man has multiple mates
what is a polyandrous species? - correct answer ✔✔one woman with multiple husbands.
there is a relationship between body size and what that stays true through all vertebrates? - correct
answer ✔✔metabolic rate
what is the body size always raised to? - correct answer ✔✔.75
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
2026/2027
what is the area over which an individual travels over its normal daily movements? - correct answer
✔✔home range
the ability to travel to a particular place from unfamiliar locations is known as? - correct answer ✔✔true
navigation
the ability to go to a particular compass direction is known as? - correct answer ✔✔compass orientation
an inherited genetic mutation that results in the lack of melanin in various structures of the body such as
skin and hair is called what? - correct answer ✔✔albinism
what is it called when you limit one trait for another trait? related to trade offs - correct answer
✔✔altruism
warn predators of toxic or noxious chemicals by the use of bright coloration. opposite of cryptic
coloration - correct answer ✔✔aposematic coloration
round trip, which includes movement to and from an area - correct answer ✔✔migration
one way trip to a particular location, no return to original area - correct answer ✔✔dispersal
interaction between two or more individuals to transmit information that ultimately alters the behavior
of the receiver - correct answer ✔✔communication
organisms that mature early, have many offspring with high mortality rates, and are short lived - correct
answer ✔✔fast life
organisms mature late, have few offspring with low mortality rates, and have long lifespans - correct
answer ✔✔slow life
minimum metabolic rate for a fasting, non-reproducing, resting organism with no thermal stress is called
what? - correct answer ✔✔basal metabolic rate
factors that affect home range size, such as age, diet, population density, and many others are ultimately
related to what? - correct answer ✔✔energetics
what is the movement away from the place of birth called? reduces inbreeding, overcrowding, and
competition with siblings - correct answer ✔✔natal dispersal
what is an organism that keeps its body temperature constant/temperature regulator called? - correct
answer ✔✔homeotherm
, what is an organism whose body temperature changes with the ambient temperature/temperature
conformer called? - correct answer ✔✔poikilotherm
the area around a high priority and limited resource that is actively defended to exclude competitors is
called what? - correct answer ✔✔a territory
what species are born in fresh water and spend their adult lives in salt water? - correct answer
✔✔anadromous species
rely on the environment to keep the metabolic heat production at a desirable temperature because they
cannot produce enough heat needed through internal means - correct answer ✔✔ectotherms
use metabolism to elevate their body temperature - correct answer ✔✔endotherms
when does torpor occur? - correct answer ✔✔when environmental conditions exceed an inidivudal's
capacity for homeostasis
what does torpor do? - correct answer ✔✔greatly reduces body temperature and regulates metabolism
what animal is the migration champion? - correct answer ✔✔arctic tern
freezing is lethal to most amphibians but not all since some have antifreeze inside of their cells know as
what? - correct answer ✔✔cryopotectant
what type of signals are effective at short distances, highly dependent upon light, and include color,
movement, and changes in posture? - correct answer ✔✔visual signals
small mammals like mice have more or less mass-specific metabolic rates than large mammals like a
moose? - correct answer ✔✔more
several different species of fish and reptiles have specialized jaw and head movement to assist in feeding
called what? - correct answer ✔✔pharyngeal jaws
what are chemical substances that are excreted by vertebrates to elicit a response from another
individual? - correct answer ✔✔pheromones
males in polygynous species typically have bigger or smaller home range sizes compared to females
while the opposite would occur in polyandrous species? - correct answer ✔✔bigger
what is a polygynous species? - correct answer ✔✔one man has multiple mates
what is a polyandrous species? - correct answer ✔✔one woman with multiple husbands.
there is a relationship between body size and what that stays true through all vertebrates? - correct
answer ✔✔metabolic rate
what is the body size always raised to? - correct answer ✔✔.75
