Exam 8: Behavioral Ecology

Refer to the figure. The figure shows data from a study on goldfinches that determined how foraging behavior changed with group size (referred to as "flock size"). -Based on the figure, how many more or fewer seconds would a flock of 10 individuals spend flying between feeding sites compared to one individual foraging alone?

Behavioral ecology is best described as the study of the

A study that is investigating the neural mechanisms that allow individuals to differentiate between two smells is studying the _______ of this behavior.

Which scenario would result in the lowest transmission rates of pathogens among individuals in a group?

Adaptive evolution is a process that occurs

Suppose the net energy value of food item A is 6 kcal/s while the net energy value of food item B is 4 kcal/s. Obtaining item A takes 2 s and processing takes 2 s. Item B takes 2 s to obtain and 2 s to process. The difference in profitability between the two food items is

Considering the conceptual model of optimal foraging presented in this chapter, as cumulative energy investment in foraging increases at a constant rate,

Refer to the figure. - If travel time increases to 60 minutes, the optimal giving up time

A lizard is blown out to sea during a hurricane. This type of storm occurs very infrequently-on average once every 100 years. The lizard washes up on the beach of a small island and finds some beetles on the beach. The lizard can get an average of about 20 kcal from consuming a beetle. It takes the lizard 10kcal/min to chase and catch a beetle. What is the maximum amount of time that the lizard can spend catching each beetle without expending more energy capturing its prey than it derives from consuming it?

Refer to the figure. Figure 1 You are studying parental investment patterns in four groups (groups A, B, C, and D). Your data are shown in Figure 1. In which group is a polygynous mating system most likely to occur? What kind of energetic investment would each sex provide under this mating system?

Refer to the figure. Wilkinson & Reillo (1994) carried out an artificial selection experiment using the stalk-eyed fly Cyrtodiopsis dalmanni. The females from control, long-selected, or short-selected populations chose between a long- or short-stalked male. After 13 generations, eyestalk length was significantly different among the groups. Based on this background and the figure, which of the following statements is false?

Based on the results of studies of stalk-eyed flies, what is one reason females preferentially mate with males with long eyestalks?

Refer to the figure. Figure 2 You are studying four bird species to determine the differences between poor-quality and high-quality males. -You collect the data shown in Figure 2. From which species would females benefit the most from an improved ability to differentiate between small differences in the tail length of males? Why?

Refer to the figure. Figure 2 You are studying four bird species to determine the differences between poor-quality and high-quality males. -You collect the data shown in Figure 2. Answer the following questions: a) In which species is a long tail a clear an indication of a high-quality male? b) In which species is a long tail uninformative about male quality? c) In which species is a short tail an indication of a high-quality male?

Which statement describes how individuals of a prey species alter their foraging decisions in the presence of predators?

In species where females provide the bulk of the parental care, females are most likely to

A study focuses on the evolution of infanticide in carnivorous mammals. This study is investigating the _______ of this behavior.

Suppose you are studying a species of primate. The female primates generally live in 5-km² home ranges that overlap very little with neighboring home range territories. The primates can travel up to 5 km in one day and both males and females care for young. Which type of breeding system is most likely under these circumstances?

Refer to the figure. Figure 3 You are investigating the benefits that individuals gain from group living. - You collect the data graphed in Figure 3.Answer the following questions: a) When is the predator least successful at catching prey? b) When is the predator most successful at catching prey? c) What is the relationship between the number of prey individuals in a group and the predator's hunting success?

Refer to the figure. In the 1980s, efforts to control pest populations of cockroaches often involved glucose baits laced with insecticide. Over time, these baits became less effective because populations that had been exposed to them for many generations tended to avoid them. Additionally, in individuals exhibiting glucose avoidance, taste receptor neurons that were normally only activated by bitter substances were activated by glucose instead. Given this background and the data in the figure, which of the following statements is false?