Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between proximate and ultimate causes of animal behavior?

Accepted Answer

Proximate causes explain how a behavior occurs through mechanisms like gene expression and physiology, while ultimate causes explain why a behavior occurs in terms of function and evolution.

Question 2

A researcher observes that a certain species of fish always swims directly toward a light source. This is an example of which type of innate behavior?

Accepted Answer

Taxis

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of a fixed action pattern (FAP)?

Accepted Answer

A goose retrieving an egg that has rolled out of its nest, continuing the retrieval sequence even if the egg is removed

Question 4

Which of the following best illustrates classical conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A dog salivating at the sound of a bell after repeated association with food

Question 5

Which statement about innate and learned behaviors is correct?

Accepted Answer

Innate behaviors are genetically programmed and can be performed correctly without prior experience.

Question 6

A newborn baby exhibits a sucking reflex when something touches the roof of its mouth. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

An innate reflex

Question 7

In the context of animal behavior, what is a 'sign stimulus'?

Accepted Answer

The effective component of a stimulus that triggers a fixed action pattern

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of social learning?

Accepted Answer

A chimpanzee using a stick to retrieve termites after watching another chimpanzee do the same

Question 9

Which of the following best describes habituation?

Accepted Answer

A decrease in response to a repeated stimulus that has no positive or negative effect

Question 10

A researcher disables a single gene in female mice, and observes that they no longer gather their pups together. This experiment demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

That a single gene can control a complex innate behavior

Question 11

Which of the following is true about migration in animals?

Accepted Answer

Migration can be either innate or learned, depending on the species.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A rat learning to press a lever to receive food

Question 13

Which of the following best describes insight learning?

Accepted Answer

Using previous knowledge and reasoning to solve a new problem

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of innate behavior?

Accepted Answer

It requires prior experience

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why male three-spined stickleback fish attack objects with red undersides during breeding season?

Accepted Answer

The red color acts as a sign stimulus, triggering an innate aggressive response.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the relationship between genotype, environment, and behavior is correct?

Accepted Answer

Both innate and learned behaviors are influenced by genes and the environment.

Question 17

Which of the following is a benefit of group living in social animals?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced foraging efficiency and anti-predator defense

Question 18

A bird learns to avoid eating a brightly colored insect after a negative experience. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning

Question 19

Which of the following is most likely to be a learned behavior in a long-lived animal with a highly developed nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Using tools to obtain food

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the process of imprinting?

Accepted Answer

A form of learning in which an animal forms a strong attachment to the first moving object it sees at a particular age

Unit 7: Ecology and Behavior (Part V: Animal Behavior) – General Biology Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards