1: intro

Question 1

the 2 main questions to ask about behaviour are the proximate and ultimate questions- what 2 basic things are involved in each?

Answer 1

proximate: causation (mechanisms) + development (ontogeny)

ultimate : evolution (phylogeny) + function (selection)

Question 2

give an example for each of these in a squirrel hunting for nuts:

a) causation/mechanisms
b) development/ontogeny
c) evolution/phylogeny
d) function/selection

Answer 2

a) nut overabundance may mean satiated so will hide excess nuts
b) instinct causes them to hide and learning means they find safe hiding spots
c) ancestors gather nuts safely
d) storing more nuts means more likely survive winter

Question 3

what are the series of steps following the predator stimulating the sensory output ?

Answer 3

• developmental systems stimulated
• physiological systems such as the motor and sensory systems are stimulated and are under hormonal control
• leads to the behaviour
• beneficial genes are transmitted to the gene pool of the next generation

Question 4

are these proximate or ultimate?

• survival value
• evolutionary history
• fitness

Answer 4

• U
• U
• P

Question 5

what are the 2 proximate mechanisms?

Answer 5

• genetic developmental mechanisms

- sensory motor mechanisms

Question 6

what are the genetic developmental proximate mechanisms?

Answer 6

• effects of heredity on behaviour

- development of sensory motor systems via gene environment interactions

Question 7

what are the sensory motor proximate mechanisms?

Answer 7

• NS for detection of environmental stimuli

- skeletal muscular systems for carrying out responses

Question 8

what are the 2 ultimate pathways/process?

Answer 8

• historical pathways leading to a current behavioural trait
• selective processes shaping the history of a behavioural trait

Question 9

what are the ultimate historical pathways?

Answer 9

events occuring over evolution from the origin of the trait to the present

Question 10

what are the ultimate selective processes?

Answer 10

past and current usefulness of the behaviour in promoting lifetime reproductive success

Question 11

what do levels of analysis refer to?

Answer 11

if you’re studying ultimate or proximate causes and which aspect of these you are studying

Question 12

what was Tinbergen’s experiment for testing the proximate hypothesis on the orientation in bee wolve wasps? (5)

Answer 12

• female bee wolf provisions underground nest with honey bees
• she covers entrance before hunting
• she circles to memorise landmarks near entrance to navigate nest
• set up with pine cones as landmarks and moved them
• female followed centre of pine cones not nest

Question 13

what was Tinbergen’s experiment for testing the proximate hypothesis on egg shell removal by parent birds? (6)

Answer 13

• removed after the chick hatches
• white inside of the egg may catch predator attention
• artificial gull nests set up with broken eggshell at varying distances from the nest
• closer shells are to gull nests greater the predation
• broken shells increased predation by crows when placed near black headed gull eggs
• supports the idea that removing shells after hatching increases fitness

Question 14

what are the upper and lower wings like of the comma and peacock butterflies? (4)

Answer 14

• cryptic underwing resembles leaves
• comma has a white mark on its upper wing to resemble bird faeces
• comma will close wings if disturbed to be camouflaged
• peacock will open wings to reveal eyespots when disturbed and will make a hiss sound

Question 15

what are the meadow brown M.jurtina eye spots like?

Answer 15

small near tips of wings but not to scare predators

- act to direct attention to non vital non vulnerable areas such as the wings to avoid the body being eaten

Question 16

what are the 4 steps of a scientific method?

Answer 16

1. ask question on observed behaviour
2. establish hypothesis to explain what is seen
3. make predictions based on hypothesis
4. test predictions

Question 17

what is anting behaviour?

Answer 17

birds disturb ant mounds, putting ants such as worker wood ants in their feathers and the ants spray defensive chemical of formic acid

Question 18

what are the 2 reasons for birds such as blue jays to engage in anting behaviour?

Answer 18

• kills parasites/lice in feathers

- makes ants more palatable by reducing their formic acid content

Question 19

list the 4 subfamilies of Apidae

Answer 19

• Apinae (honeybees)
• Bombinae (bumblebees)
• Meliponinae (stingless bees)
• Euglossinae (orchid bees)

Question 20

what does it mean to be eusocial?

Answer 20

living together in large colonies and have reproductive division of labour and cooperative care for young

Question 21

which subfamilies of Apidae are eusocial?

Answer 21

Apinae, Bombinae, Meliponinae

Question 22

which subfamilies of Apidae are swarm forming?

Answer 22

Apinae, Meliponinae

Question 23

which subfamilies of Apidae show nectar transfer?

Answer 23

Apinae, Meliponinae

Question 24

give 5 points about swarming such as the honey bee swarm

Answer 24

• nest may get overcrowded
• old queen flies away with working bees
• swarm attaches to a new tree branch
• search for a new nest
• original colony split into 2 separate colonies

Question 25

give 3 points about nectar transfer

Answer 25

- receiver bee stores nectar in cell through extended tongue - forager tongue not extended - task partitioning and specialisation

Question 26

what is the likely Apidae phylogeny and what is an alternate, less parsimonious one if the previous one could be seen as incorrect?

Answer 26

- likey one origin of eusociality, 2 origins of swarming and 2 origins of nectar transfer - alternatively Bombinae actually split off before Apinae with one origin for each and eusociality evolved many times

Question 27

what are the 2 hypotheses that need to be considered for why swallows fly south at the end of summer?

Answer 27

- how: because decreasing day length causes hormonal changes that trigger migration - why: because those that do have more offspring

Question 28

what is the importance of a behaviour improving survival or reproduction?

Answer 28

it shows the behaviour is adaptive

Question 29

what does hypothesis mean in greek?

Answer 29

foundation

Question 30

which Apidae subfamily is not eusocial?

Answer 30

orchid bees

Question 31

what is a swarm?

Answer 31

colony fission in which a colony is formed by a queen and lots of workers

Question 32

in bumble bees what happens to the nectar?

Answer 32

a nectar forager stores her own nectar