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21 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
definition of "behavior"
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an action carried out by muscles or glands under control of the nervous system in response to a stimulus
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what is "proximate causation"?
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HOW a behavior occurs or is modified
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what is "ultimate causation"?
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WHY a behavior occurs in the context of natural selection
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definition of "behavioral ecology"?
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the study of the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior
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definition of "fixed action pattern"
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a sequence of unlearned acts that is essentially unchangeable and, once initiated, usually carried to completion.
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what is "sign stimulus"?
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the trigger of an external cue
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definition of "kinesis"
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a change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus
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definition of "taxis"
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an oriented movement toward or away from some stimulus
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definition of "signal"
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a stimulus trnasmitted from one animal to another
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definition of "communication"
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an essential element of interactions between individuals
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what is "habituation"?
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a form of learning; a loss of responsiveness to smimuli that conve little or no new information
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what is "innate behaviour"?
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developmentally fixed behaviour
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definition of "imprinting"?
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a type of behaviour that includes both learned and innate components - the formation at a specific stage in life of a long-lasting behavioural response to a particular individual or object.
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definition of a "sensitive period" (aka a critical period)
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a limited developmental phase when certain behaviours can be laerned
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what is "spatial learning"?
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the establishment of a memory that reflects the environment's spatial structure.
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definition of "associative learning"
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the ability to associate one environmental feature (like a colour) with anohter (such as foul taste)
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definition of "classical conditioning"
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an arbitrary simulus that becomes associated with a particular outcome
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definition of "operant conditioning" (aka trial-and-error learning)
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the method used in animal training
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what is the "optimal foraging model"?
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natural selection favours a foraging behaviour that minimises the costs of foraging and maximises the benefits
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definition of "polygyny"
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a type of polygyny which involves a single males and many females
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definition of "polyandry"
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a type of polygamy where a single female that mates with several males
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