Question 1

Eusociality is particularly prevalent in the Order hymenoptera because

Accepted Answer

A)  alleles favouring co-operative behaviour are not restricted. 
B)  haplodiploid genetic systems are more common in the hymenoptera than other Orders. 
C)  haploid selection in insects such as bees and ants produces higher mutation rates, and therefore a higher incidence of producing co-operative alleles. 
D)  they do not delay breeding. 
E)  they spend only brief periods in natal territory. 
A)  alleles favouring co-operative behaviour are not restricted. 
B)  haplodiploid genetic systems are more common in the hymenoptera than other Orders. 
C)  haploid selection in insects such as bees and ants produces higher mutation rates, and therefore a higher incidence of producing co-operative alleles. 
D)  they do not delay breeding. 
E)  they spend only brief periods in natal territory. B

Question 2

In a model of the development of evolutionarily stable behaviours, a 'hawk' strategy means the animal will always fight while a 'dove' strategy means the animal only displays, but will not fight. An evolutionarily stable mixture will occur when

Accepted Answer

A)  most of the population consists of 'hawks'. 
B)  most of the population consists of 'doves'. 
C)  the average payoff to 'hawks' and 'doves' is equal. 
D)  there are equal numbers of 'hawks' and 'doves'. 
E)  the number of hawks and doves will depend on seasonal influences. 
A)  most of the population consists of 'hawks'. 
B)  most of the population consists of 'doves'. 
C)  the average payoff to 'hawks' and 'doves' is equal. 
D)  there are equal numbers of 'hawks' and 'doves'. 
E)  the number of hawks and doves will depend on seasonal influences. C

Question 3

How is the jumping spider Cosmophasis bitaeniata able to enter the nest of green tree ants and eat larvae without being attacked?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chemical mimicry 
B)  Camouflage. 
C)  Passivity 
D)  Morphological mimicry 
E)  Electrochemical secretion 
A)  Chemical mimicry 
B)  Camouflage. 
C)  Passivity 
D)  Morphological mimicry 
E)  Electrochemical secretion A

Question 4

Sexual selection may arise in two ways:

Accepted Answer

A)  competition between males or courtship. 
B)  female choice or courtship. 
C)  courtship or competition between females. 
D)  competition between males or female choice. 
E)  competition between females or courtship. 
A)  competition between males or courtship. 
B)  female choice or courtship. 
C)  courtship or competition between females. 
D)  competition between males or female choice. 
E)  competition between females or courtship.

Question 5

Ethology is

Accepted Answer

A)  the natural selection imposed on animals by their behaviour. 
B)  the study of animal behaviour. 
C)  the evolution of eusocial behaviour in insects. 
D)  the mating behaviour demonstrated by males. 
E)  the genetic difference between animals that is the basis of social behaviour. 
A)  the natural selection imposed on animals by their behaviour. 
B)  the study of animal behaviour. 
C)  the evolution of eusocial behaviour in insects. 
D)  the mating behaviour demonstrated by males. 
E)  the genetic difference between animals that is the basis of social behaviour.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  All forms of behaviour are under the influence of natural selection. 
B)  All forms of behaviour, except learned behaviour, are under the influence of natural selection. 
C)  All forms of behaviour are under the influence of sexual selection. 
D)  Behaviour is a result of environmental factors. 
E)  Some behaviour has no genetic basis and this type of behaviour is not under the influence of natural selection. 
A)  All forms of behaviour are under the influence of natural selection. 
B)  All forms of behaviour, except learned behaviour, are under the influence of natural selection. 
C)  All forms of behaviour are under the influence of sexual selection. 
D)  Behaviour is a result of environmental factors. 
E)  Some behaviour has no genetic basis and this type of behaviour is not under the influence of natural selection.

Question 7

Defensive mimicry is used by many animals to avoid predators. An example of defensive mimicry is

Accepted Answer

A)  animals that lose part of their body to avoid capture. 
B)  animals that blend with their surroundings and so are not seen by predators. 
C)  animals that secrete odours that attract specific prey. 
D)  animals that appear similar to toxic species to avoid being captured. 
E)  animals that feed at night to avoid being seen by predators. 
A)  animals that lose part of their body to avoid capture. 
B)  animals that blend with their surroundings and so are not seen by predators. 
C)  animals that secrete odours that attract specific prey. 
D)  animals that appear similar to toxic species to avoid being captured. 
E)  animals that feed at night to avoid being seen by predators.

Question 8

Honeybees communicate the accurate location of food sources to their nest mates via

Accepted Answer

A)  pheromones. 
B)  dancing. 
C)  vocal cues. 
D)  pheromones and dancing. 
E)  pheromones, dancing and vocal cues. 
A)  pheromones. 
B)  dancing. 
C)  vocal cues. 
D)  pheromones and dancing. 
E)  pheromones, dancing and vocal cues.

Question 9

Foraging behaviour is influenced by many factors. Which of the following is NOT such a factor?

Accepted Answer

A)  Energy expenditure 
B)  Nutrient balance 
C)  Food acquisition 
D)  Chromatin immunoprecipitation 
E)  Predation risk 
A)  Energy expenditure 
B)  Nutrient balance 
C)  Food acquisition 
D)  Chromatin immunoprecipitation 
E)  Predation risk

Question 10

In some species of insects, males deposit a sperm plug into the female's reproductive tract after copulation to prevent other males from fertilising her. This behaviour could best be described as

Accepted Answer

A)  kin selection. 
B)  intersexual selection. 
C)  parental care. 
D)  mate guarding. 
E)  polyandry. 
A)  kin selection. 
B)  intersexual selection. 
C)  parental care. 
D)  mate guarding. 
E)  polyandry.

Question 11

When populations of the same species become isolated for extended periods of time, they can experience different ecological conditions. This can result in changes to individual's responses to stimuli. Such changes can be experimentally demonstrated to

Accepted Answer

A)  be due to epigenetic effects. 
B)  have a genetic basis. 
C)  be a heritable trait. 
D)  be an irreversible behavioural adaptation. 
E)  All of the answers are correct. 
A)  be due to epigenetic effects. 
B)  have a genetic basis. 
C)  be a heritable trait. 
D)  be an irreversible behavioural adaptation. 
E)  All of the answers are correct.

Question 12

A eusocial mammal society would be characterised by

Accepted Answer

A)  widely dispersed individuals that live alone for most of the year but come together briefly to mate and raise offspring. 
B)  a lone female parent caring for a group of offspring for an extended period of time. 
C)  overlapping generations and a division of reproductive labour. 
D)  breeding pairs living in close association and sharing tasks such as foraging and defence of their offspring. 
E)  a cooperative group where all care for the young animals. 
A)  widely dispersed individuals that live alone for most of the year but come together briefly to mate and raise offspring. 
B)  a lone female parent caring for a group of offspring for an extended period of time. 
C)  overlapping generations and a division of reproductive labour. 
D)  breeding pairs living in close association and sharing tasks such as foraging and defence of their offspring. 
E)  a cooperative group where all care for the young animals.

Question 13

Two populations of cloned mice are being studied to try to characterise an unknown locus. All the mice are housed and raised identically, but one population has a single nucleotide polymorphism in the locus of interest, resulting in a non-sense mutation. The mutant mice are observed to forage more frequently but for shorter periods of time compared to those without the mutation. This locus is therefore

Accepted Answer

A)  a polycistronic transcript. 
B)  a genetic marker for foraging behaviour. 
C)  a pseudo-gene. 
D)  inherited maternally. 
E)  inherited paternally. 
A)  a polycistronic transcript. 
B)  a genetic marker for foraging behaviour. 
C)  a pseudo-gene. 
D)  inherited maternally. 
E)  inherited paternally.

Question 14

All forms of animal behaviour

Accepted Answer

A)  have an anatomical explanation. 
B)  have a genetic basis. 
C)  are based on learning. 
D)  depend on hormones. 
E)  are based on circadian rhythms. 
A)  have an anatomical explanation. 
B)  have a genetic basis. 
C)  are based on learning. 
D)  depend on hormones. 
E)  are based on circadian rhythms.

Question 15

Eusocial societies

Accepted Answer

A)  have discrete generations. 
B)  have a reproductive division of labour. 
C)  occur only in small groups. 
D)  are only found in one family of insects. 
E)  consist of large numbers of male workers. 
A)  have discrete generations. 
B)  have a reproductive division of labour. 
C)  occur only in small groups. 
D)  are only found in one family of insects. 
E)  consist of large numbers of male workers.

Question 16

When collecting food, the honeybee (Apis mellifera) frequently returns to its nest with less than a full crop of nectar. Experiments suggest that this behaviour can be explained by

Accepted Answer

A)  small quantities of nectar in most foraging areas. 
B)  the high predation risk involved in being away from the nest for long periods. 
C)  high demand for nectar at the nest. 
D)  optimisation of net return and energy expenditure. 
E)  All of the answers are correct. 
A)  small quantities of nectar in most foraging areas. 
B)  the high predation risk involved in being away from the nest for long periods. 
C)  high demand for nectar at the nest. 
D)  optimisation of net return and energy expenditure. 
E)  All of the answers are correct.

Question 17

A barnacle living beneath some kelp fronds ceases closing its valves every time a shadow passes over it. This behaviour is called

Accepted Answer

A)  imprinting. 
B)  habituation. 
C)  learnt. 
D)  maturation. 
E)  innate. 
A)  imprinting. 
B)  habituation. 
C)  learnt. 
D)  maturation. 
E)  innate.

Question 18

According to the theory of kin selection, if r is a measure of the relatedness between individuals and b and c are respectively the benefit and cost to the donor, then a donor can be expected to help another individual only when

Accepted Answer

A) rb - c > 0. B) rb =c C) rb - c < 0. D) b - rc = 0. E) rc =b A) rb - c > 0. B) rb =c C) rb - c < 0. D) b - rc = 0. E) rc =b

Question 19

A barnacle closes its valves every time a shadow passes over it. This behaviour is called

Accepted Answer

A)  imprinting. 
B)  habituation. 
C)  learnt. 
D)  maturation. 
E)  innate. 
A)  imprinting. 
B)  habituation. 
C)  learnt. 
D)  maturation. 
E)  innate.

Question 20

Maturation effects are

Accepted Answer

A)  a combination of imprinting and learning. 
B)  a behaviour associated with juvenile life stages. 
C)  changes in behaviour as a result of age, not experience. 
D)  any permanent change in an individual's behaviour. 
E)  advantageous to the development of an animal, as it can change with age. 
A)  a combination of imprinting and learning. 
B)  a behaviour associated with juvenile life stages. 
C)  changes in behaviour as a result of age, not experience. 
D)  any permanent change in an individual's behaviour. 
E)  advantageous to the development of an animal, as it can change with age.

Exam 31: Animal Behaviour

Eusociality is particularly prevalent in the Order hymenoptera because

In a model of the development of evolutionarily stable behaviours, a 'hawk' strategy means the animal will always fight while a 'dove' strategy means the animal only displays, but will not fight. An evolutionarily stable mixture will occur when

How is the jumping spider Cosmophasis bitaeniata able to enter the nest of green tree ants and eat larvae without being attacked?

Sexual selection may arise in two ways:

Ethology is

Which of the following statements is correct?

Defensive mimicry is used by many animals to avoid predators. An example of defensive mimicry is

Honeybees communicate the accurate location of food sources to their nest mates via

Foraging behaviour is influenced by many factors. Which of the following is NOT such a factor?

In some species of insects, males deposit a sperm plug into the female's reproductive tract after copulation to prevent other males from fertilising her. This behaviour could best be described as

When populations of the same species become isolated for extended periods of time, they can experience different ecological conditions. This can result in changes to individual's responses to stimuli. Such changes can be experimentally demonstrated to

A eusocial mammal society would be characterised by

All forms of animal behaviour

Eusocial societies

When collecting food, the honeybee (Apis mellifera) frequently returns to its nest with less than a full crop of nectar. Experiments suggest that this behaviour can be explained by

A barnacle living beneath some kelp fronds ceases closing its valves every time a shadow passes over it. This behaviour is called

According to the theory of kin selection, if r is a measure of the relatedness between individuals and b and c are respectively the benefit and cost to the donor, then a donor can be expected to help another individual only when

A barnacle closes its valves every time a shadow passes over it. This behaviour is called

Maturation effects are

Nature of Molecules

Biomolecules

The Chemistry of Life

Functioning Cells

Movement Across Membranes

Harvesting Energy

Cells, Tissues and Signals

Cell Division

Inheritance

Genes, Chromosomes and Dna

The Genetic Code

Gene Expression

Genomes, Mutation and Cancer

Viruses

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Reproduction, Growth and Development of Flowering Plants

Structure of Plants

Plant Nutrition, Transport and Adaptation to Stress

Plant Hormones and Growth Responses

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Homeostasis: Water, Solutes and Excretion

Gas Exchange in Animals

Circulation

Metabolism, Temperature Regulation and Environmental Stress

Animal and Human Nutrition

Innate Defences and the Immune System

Hormonal Control in Animals

Nervous Systems

Animal Movement

Evolving Life

Evolving Earth

Mechanisms of Evolution

Bacteria

The Protists

Plants

Fungi

Simple Animals: Sponges to Flatworms

Annelids, Molluscs, Nematodes and Arthropods

Echinoderms and Chordates

Australian Biota

Population Ecology

Living in Communities

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