Question 1

Which of the following best distinguishes between proximate and ultimate questions in the study of animal behavior?

Accepted Answer

Proximate questions address how a behavior occurs, while ultimate questions address why a behavior occurs in terms of evolutionary advantage.

Question 2

Which of the following is the best definition of 'behavior' in biology?

Accepted Answer

Any observable action or response of an organism to its environment.

Question 3

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is considered an innate behavioral response. Which of the following is an example of a FAP?

Accepted Answer

A goose rolling an egg back to its nest using its beak, even if the egg is replaced with a similar object.

Question 4

You have learned to turn after a cemetery to reach your friend's house, using the cemetery as a landmark. Which type of learning does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Spatial learning

Question 5

Which scientist is most closely associated with classical conditioning, and what is an example of this type of learning?

Accepted Answer

Ivan Pavlov; a dog salivating when it hears a bell that has been repeatedly paired with food

Question 6

Which of the following behaviors is most likely to limit wasted energy and maximize survivability in animals?

Accepted Answer

Territoriality, where animals defend a specific area

Question 7

Which of the following best describes altruism in animal behavior?

Accepted Answer

A behavior that reduces the fitness of the individual but increases the fitness of another individual.

Question 8

How can altruistic behavior be beneficial to the organism that puts itself at risk?

Accepted Answer

It can increase the survival and reproductive success of close relatives, thereby increasing the altruist's inclusive fitness.

Question 9

Which of the following is the correct formula for population density?

Accepted Answer

Population density = number of individuals / total area

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT one of the three main dispersion patterns of populations?

Accepted Answer

Hierarchical

Question 11

Which survivorship curve is characterized by high survival rates during early and middle life, followed by a rapid decline in survival in later life?

Accepted Answer

Type I

Question 12

Which of the following best describes an r-strategist (r-reproducer)?

Accepted Answer

Produces many offspring with little parental care and short lifespan

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of a limiting factor that restricts population growth?

Accepted Answer

Predation

Question 14

Which of the following best distinguishes between density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors?

Accepted Answer

Density-dependent factors intensify as population size increases, while density-independent factors affect populations regardless of size.

Question 15

A population of 500 rabbits lives in an area of 10 square kilometers. What is the population density?

Accepted Answer

$$50 \ 	ext{rabbits/km}^2$$

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of associative learning?

Accepted Answer

A bird learning to avoid monarch butterflies after tasting one and experiencing illness

Question 17

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates social learning?

Accepted Answer

A chimpanzee learns to use a stick to extract termites after watching another chimpanzee do it.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of problem-solving behavior in animals?

Accepted Answer

A crow bending a wire to retrieve food from a tube

Question 19

Which of the following best describes habituation?

Accepted Answer

A decrease in response to a repeated, harmless stimulus

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of imprinting?

Accepted Answer

A young salmon learning the chemical signature of its home stream

Study Guide: Animal Behavior and Population Ecology (Biology)

Study Guide - Practice Questions