Question 1

Which of the following best describes a fixed action pattern in animal behavior?

Accepted Answer

A sequence of unlearned acts directly linked to a simple stimulus, usually carried to completion once initiated.

Question 2

Migratory birds use several environmental cues for navigation. Which combination of cues is most likely used by a bird migrating at night?

Accepted Answer

The position of the North Star and Earth's magnetic field.

Question 3

Which of Tinbergen’s four questions about animal behavior is best addressed by a cross-fostering study?

Accepted Answer

How does the animal’s experience during growth and development influence the response?

Question 4

A honeybee performs a waggle dance upon returning to the hive. What information is she communicating to other bees?

Accepted Answer

The distance and direction of a food source located more than 50 meters away.

Question 5

Which statement about pheromones is correct?

Accepted Answer

Pheromones are chemical signals released to produce an external response in other individuals.

Question 6

Which scenario best illustrates imprinting in animal behavior?

Accepted Answer

A young goose following the first moving object it sees after hatching during a sensitive period.

Question 7

Which type of learning is demonstrated when a blue jay avoids eating monarch butterflies after a previous unpleasant experience?

Accepted Answer

Associative learning

Question 8

A researcher observes that coastal garter snakes eat banana slugs, while inland populations do not. What is the most likely explanation for this difference?

Accepted Answer

Genetic variation allows coastal snakes to recognize slugs as food, a trait selected for in their environment.

Question 9

Which equation represents Hamilton’s rule for predicting when natural selection will favor altruistic behavior?

Accepted Answer

$$rB \u003e C$$

Question 10

A male stickleback fish attacks any model with a red underside, regardless of its shape. This behavior is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Fixed action pattern triggered by a sign stimulus

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the optimal foraging model?

Accepted Answer

Foraging behavior is a compromise between the benefits of nutrition and the costs of obtaining food, such as energy expenditure and predation risk.

Question 12

In species with external fertilization, male parental care is more likely than in species with internal fertilization because:

Accepted Answer

Males are always present during egg laying and can be certain of their paternity.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of intrasexual selection?

Accepted Answer

Male deer competing with each other for access to females.

Question 14

Which scenario best illustrates reciprocal altruism?

Accepted Answer

A vampire bat sharing food with another bat that previously shared with it.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for reciprocal altruism to evolve in a species?

Accepted Answer

High degree of genetic relatedness among individuals.

Question 16

A young chimpanzee learns to crack nuts by watching older chimpanzees. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Social learning

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why sexual dimorphism is more pronounced in polygynous species than in monogamous species?

Accepted Answer

Males compete for multiple females, leading to selection for traits that increase mating success.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of spatial learning?

Accepted Answer

A digger wasp using landmarks to locate its nest entrance.

Question 19

In the context of game theory applied to animal behavior, which statement is correct?

Accepted Answer

The outcome for an individual depends on the strategies adopted by others in the population.

Animal Behavior: Principles and Examples

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