ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
FINAL EXAM
Topic 8. Dispersal, Migration, Habitat Selection, and Territoriality - answer-
how important is learning in maintaining a territory? - answer- territory-related decisions
often do not end after a territory has been established
Dear enemy hypothesis: an animal can reduce the costs of maintaining a territory if it
learns who its neighbors are and switches its defense of the territory from actual combat
to threat displays
2 general types of threat displays - answer- 1. lateral presentation (display from side to
show full extent of dewlap)
2. threatening with teeth or other weaponry
parasitization of established territory - answer- alternate strategy for gaining resources
of a territory without establishing its own
called sneaker or satellite strategies
ex. bluegill sunfish
sneaker/satellite strategies example - answer- parental males are older who
aggressively defend territories in which females shed eggs
establish sites of nesting (territories)
,alternative reproductive tactics in males - answer- 1. alternative mating tactics - multiple
behavioral mating phenotypes in pop
2. satellite male
3. sneaker male
satellite male - answer- male circles like a satellite looking for mating possibilities that
he might intercept
alternative, parasitic mating tactic
remains near a territorial male to intercept females that are attracted to the territorial
male; ; do NOT establish territory
sneaker male - answer- avoid detection and then jump right in an shed sperm right as
female is shedding eggs in nest
alternative, parasitic mating tactic; do NOT establish territory
evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) - answer- strategy that, if adopted by individuals in a
population, cannot be trumped by another strategy bc yields the highest fitness
parental male still lives longer despite sneaker and satellite males that use alternative
strategies
satellite male strategy - answer- mimic the color pattern of females (genetically based)
and drift down when female has been attracted to the parental male's territory
behaves like females, produce sperm at same time as parental male when female
sheds eggs
sneaker male strategy - answer- young, small (future) satellite males that wait until a
female is ready to mate with the parental male then dart in and produce sperm at the
same time as parental male
neither ___ nor ___ ever become parentals - answer- satellites nor sneakers
parental vs sneaker to satellite - answer- P: resources diverted to growth instead of
reproduction. territorial and attract females
SS: resources diverted to reproduction at early age; small individuals that can deliver
sperm at early age
alternative male phenotypes in bluegill sunfish - answer- is a mixed ESS
,2 strategies:
1. parental
2. sneaker and satellites (sneakers develop into satellites with age; parental does not
develop into others)
relative numbers of sneakers, satellites and parentals in Lake Opinicon - answer- 64%
sneakers
21% satellites
15% parentals
sneakers are going to reproduce first, develop into satellites but might not survive
is what case are satellites tolerated? - answer- they increase the security of the territory
ex. Pied Wagtails
pied wagtails - answer- OWNERS DILEMMA
1. if food resources (insects) are abundant, these birds accepts intruders/satellites on
territory and this aids in defending the territory
2. if food is NOT abundant, territory holder will chase away an intruder
conditional cooperation - answer- cooperation sometimes but not always depending on
the environment and conditions
territories be shared by ______ OR ___ OR ___ - answer- individuals or mated pairs or
family groups
characteristics seen when territories are held by family groups - answer- see altruistic
helping behavior by relatives (helping relatives and siblings)
young, helping relatives (usually siblings) can inherit territory from parents
basis of kin selection - 50% of shared DNA in juvenile that stay and help raise siblings
Florida Scrub Jay - answer- display cooperative breeding or altruistic helping behavior
by relatives
conflict in animal behavior not necessarily associated with territoriality - answer- conflict
in the definition of aggression
Lorenz: fighting instinct
Psychologists: intended behavior
, Behavioral Ecologists: form of resource competition
agonistic behavior - answer- submissive behaviors
suite of behavior patterns used during conflict with a conspecific, usually indicating
whether an individual is going to submit to the other animal or fight if they other does not
submit
dominance hierarchy - answer- org of individuals in a group that occurs when
competition of resources lead to aggression
common in group living or social animals
serve to reduce the amt of physical combat among group members
Schjelderup-Ebbe 1921 - answer- studied pecking order in chickens
found that social structures lead to more stable flocks in which aggression was reduced
among individuals
dyadic encounters - answer- encounters btw 2 individuals at a time
most dominance hierarchies are established by these encounters
rank acquisition charts - answer- determine who is dominant to who
x-axis: losers
y-axis: winners
BSh gene dominant to everyone
one animal is dominant to another if... - answer- it controls some aspect of that animal's
behavior and that relationship can predict the outcome of future competitive interactions
pecking order - answer- implies a linear relationship, but dominance hierarchies can be
very complex
transitive deductions - answer- determines hierarchical relationships
ex. if A>B and B>C, then A>C
Transitivity in Betta Fish - answer- males adjust aggression after watching the outcome
of other fights
can watch an aggressive encounter & figure out which one is dominant and submissive
FINAL EXAM
Topic 8. Dispersal, Migration, Habitat Selection, and Territoriality - answer-
how important is learning in maintaining a territory? - answer- territory-related decisions
often do not end after a territory has been established
Dear enemy hypothesis: an animal can reduce the costs of maintaining a territory if it
learns who its neighbors are and switches its defense of the territory from actual combat
to threat displays
2 general types of threat displays - answer- 1. lateral presentation (display from side to
show full extent of dewlap)
2. threatening with teeth or other weaponry
parasitization of established territory - answer- alternate strategy for gaining resources
of a territory without establishing its own
called sneaker or satellite strategies
ex. bluegill sunfish
sneaker/satellite strategies example - answer- parental males are older who
aggressively defend territories in which females shed eggs
establish sites of nesting (territories)
,alternative reproductive tactics in males - answer- 1. alternative mating tactics - multiple
behavioral mating phenotypes in pop
2. satellite male
3. sneaker male
satellite male - answer- male circles like a satellite looking for mating possibilities that
he might intercept
alternative, parasitic mating tactic
remains near a territorial male to intercept females that are attracted to the territorial
male; ; do NOT establish territory
sneaker male - answer- avoid detection and then jump right in an shed sperm right as
female is shedding eggs in nest
alternative, parasitic mating tactic; do NOT establish territory
evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) - answer- strategy that, if adopted by individuals in a
population, cannot be trumped by another strategy bc yields the highest fitness
parental male still lives longer despite sneaker and satellite males that use alternative
strategies
satellite male strategy - answer- mimic the color pattern of females (genetically based)
and drift down when female has been attracted to the parental male's territory
behaves like females, produce sperm at same time as parental male when female
sheds eggs
sneaker male strategy - answer- young, small (future) satellite males that wait until a
female is ready to mate with the parental male then dart in and produce sperm at the
same time as parental male
neither ___ nor ___ ever become parentals - answer- satellites nor sneakers
parental vs sneaker to satellite - answer- P: resources diverted to growth instead of
reproduction. territorial and attract females
SS: resources diverted to reproduction at early age; small individuals that can deliver
sperm at early age
alternative male phenotypes in bluegill sunfish - answer- is a mixed ESS
,2 strategies:
1. parental
2. sneaker and satellites (sneakers develop into satellites with age; parental does not
develop into others)
relative numbers of sneakers, satellites and parentals in Lake Opinicon - answer- 64%
sneakers
21% satellites
15% parentals
sneakers are going to reproduce first, develop into satellites but might not survive
is what case are satellites tolerated? - answer- they increase the security of the territory
ex. Pied Wagtails
pied wagtails - answer- OWNERS DILEMMA
1. if food resources (insects) are abundant, these birds accepts intruders/satellites on
territory and this aids in defending the territory
2. if food is NOT abundant, territory holder will chase away an intruder
conditional cooperation - answer- cooperation sometimes but not always depending on
the environment and conditions
territories be shared by ______ OR ___ OR ___ - answer- individuals or mated pairs or
family groups
characteristics seen when territories are held by family groups - answer- see altruistic
helping behavior by relatives (helping relatives and siblings)
young, helping relatives (usually siblings) can inherit territory from parents
basis of kin selection - 50% of shared DNA in juvenile that stay and help raise siblings
Florida Scrub Jay - answer- display cooperative breeding or altruistic helping behavior
by relatives
conflict in animal behavior not necessarily associated with territoriality - answer- conflict
in the definition of aggression
Lorenz: fighting instinct
Psychologists: intended behavior
, Behavioral Ecologists: form of resource competition
agonistic behavior - answer- submissive behaviors
suite of behavior patterns used during conflict with a conspecific, usually indicating
whether an individual is going to submit to the other animal or fight if they other does not
submit
dominance hierarchy - answer- org of individuals in a group that occurs when
competition of resources lead to aggression
common in group living or social animals
serve to reduce the amt of physical combat among group members
Schjelderup-Ebbe 1921 - answer- studied pecking order in chickens
found that social structures lead to more stable flocks in which aggression was reduced
among individuals
dyadic encounters - answer- encounters btw 2 individuals at a time
most dominance hierarchies are established by these encounters
rank acquisition charts - answer- determine who is dominant to who
x-axis: losers
y-axis: winners
BSh gene dominant to everyone
one animal is dominant to another if... - answer- it controls some aspect of that animal's
behavior and that relationship can predict the outcome of future competitive interactions
pecking order - answer- implies a linear relationship, but dominance hierarchies can be
very complex
transitive deductions - answer- determines hierarchical relationships
ex. if A>B and B>C, then A>C
Transitivity in Betta Fish - answer- males adjust aggression after watching the outcome
of other fights
can watch an aggressive encounter & figure out which one is dominant and submissive
