Question 1

Reviews of the performance of the marginal value theorem have suggested that

Accepted Answer

A)  animals, in fact, seem to prefer poor patches over rich ones. 
B)  foragers consistently stay for briefer periods of time in patches than predicted. 
C)  increased travel time leads to briefer time in patches. 
D)  patch residence times correlate with patch quality. 
A)  animals, in fact, seem to prefer poor patches over rich ones. 
B)  foragers consistently stay for briefer periods of time in patches than predicted. 
C)  increased travel time leads to briefer time in patches. 
D)  patch residence times correlate with patch quality. D

Question 2

Dynamic state-variable models are a much more sophisticated way to capture the complexity of real-life foraging and are directed primarily at variations in

Accepted Answer

A)  behaviors associated with predator avoidance. 
B)  the feeder's level of risk sensitivity. 
C)  the internal state of the feeding animal. 
D)  the presence of competitors at the feeding site. 
A)  behaviors associated with predator avoidance. 
B)  the feeder's level of risk sensitivity. 
C)  the internal state of the feeding animal. 
D)  the presence of competitors at the feeding site. C

Question 3

Which of the following "rules of thumb" do crows seem to follow when making dietary decisions?

Accepted Answer

A)  Take the clam rather than the whelk. 
B)  Take the heaviest prey item. 
C)  Take the item easiest to carry. 
D)  Take the whelk rather than the clam. 
A)  Take the clam rather than the whelk. 
B)  Take the heaviest prey item. 
C)  Take the item easiest to carry. 
D)  Take the whelk rather than the clam. B

Question 4

A special type of fungus, known to exist only in special fungus gardens, is actively cultivated by

Accepted Answer

A)  baleen whales. 
B)  bolas spiders. 
C)  leaf cutter ants. 
D)  lowland gorillas. 
A)  baleen whales. 
B)  bolas spiders. 
C)  leaf cutter ants. 
D)  lowland gorillas.

Question 5

If the following equation (where E=energy gained, h=handling time, and S=search time) is an accurate representation of the rate of return for two prey types, which one (prey type 1 or prey type 2) should the individual eat?
$\underline{E_1} > \underline{E_2}\
H_1~~~S_2+h_2
$

Accepted Answer

A)  Prey type 1 
B)  Prey type 2 
C)  Either prey type 1 or 2; their rates of energy gain are essentially equivalent. 
D)  Neither; they both will inevitably require more energy to consume than they will provide. 
A)  Prey type 1 
B)  Prey type 2 
C)  Either prey type 1 or 2; their rates of energy gain are essentially equivalent. 
D)  Neither; they both will inevitably require more energy to consume than they will provide.

Question 6

Combining information about the cumulative amount of energy that a forager is gaining as it remains in a patch with information about, for example, the travel time to the next patch, one can determine the best time (the marginal value) for an animal to leave the current patch and move on to the next one. If an animal leaves the patch before this time, it will ________; if it waits to leave after this time, it will _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  be able to take advantage of its peers' having already located the next patch; benefit by beating its competitors to a new food source. 
B)  be traveling when it could still be profitably foraging in the current patch; waste time continuing to search for food in an already depleted area. 
C)  benefit by beating its competitors to a new food source; be able to take advantage of its peers' having already located the next patch. 
D)  waste time continuing to search for food in an already depleted area; be traveling when it could still be profitably foraging in the current patch. 
A)  be able to take advantage of its peers' having already located the next patch; benefit by beating its competitors to a new food source. 
B)  be traveling when it could still be profitably foraging in the current patch; waste time continuing to search for food in an already depleted area. 
C)  benefit by beating its competitors to a new food source; be able to take advantage of its peers' having already located the next patch. 
D)  waste time continuing to search for food in an already depleted area; be traveling when it could still be profitably foraging in the current patch.

Question 7

Seabirds such as petrels and albatrosses detect their prey in the ocean by means of

Accepted Answer

A)  electroreceptors. 
B)  sight. 
C)  smell. 
D)  all of the above. 
A)  electroreceptors. 
B)  sight. 
C)  smell. 
D)  all of the above.

Question 8

A food item's "handling time" would best be considered a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  constraint in a model. 
B)  negligible variable. 
C)  portion of the search time. 
D)  type of common currency. 
A)  constraint in a model. 
B)  negligible variable. 
C)  portion of the search time. 
D)  type of common currency.

Question 9

Rate of energy gain is a "common currency" that is frequently used as an indicator of beneficial long-term fitness effects. We usually feel comfortable with that because

Accepted Answer

A)  increased food intake has been found to increase survival and fecundity in a number of species. 
B)  it can be measured over varying units of time. 
C)  it can usually be measured directly. 
D)  all of the above 
A)  increased food intake has been found to increase survival and fecundity in a number of species. 
B)  it can be measured over varying units of time. 
C)  it can usually be measured directly. 
D)  all of the above

Question 10

Sih and Christensen (2001) reviewed 134 studies to examine the success of optimal diet theory. They found that

Accepted Answer

A)  the model did a good job of explaining diets of foragers that consume prey that are immobile or essentially immobile. 
B)  the model performed best at predicting diets of foragers when the prey items were active. 
C)  the model performed better when predicting the diets of mammals than it did that of birds or fish. 
D)  there was a great deal of agreement from one study to the next in terms of the performance success of the model. 
A)  the model did a good job of explaining diets of foragers that consume prey that are immobile or essentially immobile. 
B)  the model performed best at predicting diets of foragers when the prey items were active. 
C)  the model performed better when predicting the diets of mammals than it did that of birds or fish. 
D)  there was a great deal of agreement from one study to the next in terms of the performance success of the model.

Question 11

Suspension feeders are

Accepted Answer

A)  large. 
B)  sessile. 
C)  small. 
D)  may have any of the above characteristics. 
A)  large. 
B)  sessile. 
C)  small. 
D)  may have any of the above characteristics.

Question 12

Pietrevicz and Kamil (1979, 1981) simulated predator-prey interactions in a laboratory between blue jays and moths. They found that the jays' ability to detect cryptic prey improved

Accepted Answer

A)  as increasing numbers of different moth species were shown. 
B)  when the target species was low in frequency. 
C)  when two different species were presented in random order. 
D)  with consecutive encounters with a single species of prey. 
A)  as increasing numbers of different moth species were shown. 
B)  when the target species was low in frequency. 
C)  when two different species were presented in random order. 
D)  with consecutive encounters with a single species of prey.

Question 13

Suspension feeding generally refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  aquatic species removing small suspended food particles from the surrounding water. 
B)  arboreal species feeding on fruit while they are suspended from branches. 
C)  the feeding that some species do just prior to going into hibernation. 
D)  various spiders feeding while suspended from silk strands that they have spun. 
A)  aquatic species removing small suspended food particles from the surrounding water. 
B)  arboreal species feeding on fruit while they are suspended from branches. 
C)  the feeding that some species do just prior to going into hibernation. 
D)  various spiders feeding while suspended from silk strands that they have spun.

Question 14

Cowlishaw (1997) studied the foraging behavior of a desert population of chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) and found that the baboons spent the most time foraging in which type of habitat at the research site?

Accepted Answer

A)  hills 
B)  plains 
C)  river bed 
D)  woodland 
A)  hills 
B)  plains 
C)  river bed 
D)  woodland

Question 15

Cowlishaw (1997) studied the foraging behavior of a desert population of chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) and found that over 90% of their food energy was found in which type of habitat at the research site?

Accepted Answer

A)  hills 
B)  plains 
C)  river bed 
D)  woodland 
A)  hills 
B)  plains 
C)  river bed 
D)  woodland

Question 16

When Tinbergen (1960) was observing birds bringing insects to their chicks, he noticed that they took insects in unexpected proportions.

Accepted Answer

A)  The birds always took the same number of each species, even as the species' relative numbers changed over the season. 
B)  The birds captured the different species in proportion to their abundance as the season progressed. 
C)  When a species became more common, it was taken more frequently than would be expected. 
D)  When a species was low in numbers, it was taken more frequently than would be expected. 
A)  The birds always took the same number of each species, even as the species' relative numbers changed over the season. 
B)  The birds captured the different species in proportion to their abundance as the season progressed. 
C)  When a species became more common, it was taken more frequently than would be expected. 
D)  When a species was low in numbers, it was taken more frequently than would be expected.

Question 17

Time spent checking other patches is time lost feeding. Research indicates that an animal is most likely to spend time "checking other patches"

Accepted Answer

A)  as the quality of the current patch decreases. 
B)  when joined on the current patch by a conspecific. 
C)  when the animal has eaten enough and has some extra time. 
D)  when the current patch is totally depleted. 
A)  as the quality of the current patch decreases. 
B)  when joined on the current patch by a conspecific. 
C)  when the animal has eaten enough and has some extra time. 
D)  when the current patch is totally depleted.

Question 18

Cheetahs, Northern gannets, and dragonflies are similar in that they each obtain their prey by means of

Accepted Answer

A)  aggressive mimicry. 
B)  pursuit. 
C)  setting traps. 
D)  stealth. 
A)  aggressive mimicry. 
B)  pursuit. 
C)  setting traps. 
D)  stealth.

Question 19

Risk sensitivity (with "risk" referring to variability in the food supply) has been documented in a variety of taxa, including insects, fish, birds, and mammals. It has been found to

Accepted Answer

A)  be a relatively constant characteristic of a species, such that all individuals in that species tend to be either risk-averse or risk-prone. 
B)  be a relatively constant characteristic of an individual animal, such that the individual will be either risk-averse or risk-prone. 
C)  take the form of risk-aversion much more often than the models predict. 
D)  vary depending upon an individual animal's hunger level. 
A)  be a relatively constant characteristic of a species, such that all individuals in that species tend to be either risk-averse or risk-prone. 
B)  be a relatively constant characteristic of an individual animal, such that the individual will be either risk-averse or risk-prone. 
C)  take the form of risk-aversion much more often than the models predict. 
D)  vary depending upon an individual animal's hunger level.

Question 20

Chipmunks will stuff food into their cheek pouches to carry back to their burrow. Giraldeau and Kramer (1982) found that laboratory chipmunks

Accepted Answer

A)  carried seeds from seed trays (patches) in their cheek pouches only when the distance to the burrow was great; otherwise, they simply carried individual seeds one at a time. 
B)  spent less time at a seed tray when the distance between the seed tray (patch) and the burrow was increased. 
C)  spent more time at a seed tray when the distance between the seed tray (patch) and the burrow was increased. 
D)  were unable to adjust their food loads with varying distances between the seed tray (patch) and the burrow because of the physical constraints on the size of their cheek pouches. 
A)  carried seeds from seed trays (patches) in their cheek pouches only when the distance to the burrow was great; otherwise, they simply carried individual seeds one at a time. 
B)  spent less time at a seed tray when the distance between the seed tray (patch) and the burrow was increased. 
C)  spent more time at a seed tray when the distance between the seed tray (patch) and the burrow was increased. 
D)  were unable to adjust their food loads with varying distances between the seed tray (patch) and the burrow because of the physical constraints on the size of their cheek pouches.

Reviews of the performance of the marginal value theorem have suggested that

Dynamic state-variable models are a much more sophisticated way to capture the complexity of real-life foraging and are directed primarily at variations in

Which of the following "rules of thumb" do crows seem to follow when making dietary decisions?

A special type of fungus, known to exist only in special fungus gardens, is actively cultivated by

If the following equation (where E=energy gained, h=handling time, and S=search time) is an accurate representation of the rate of return for two prey types, which one (prey type 1 or prey type 2) should the individual eat? $\underline{E_1} > \underline{E_2}\\H_1~~~S_2+h_2$

Seabirds such as petrels and albatrosses detect their prey in the ocean by means of

A food item's "handling time" would best be considered a(n)

Rate of energy gain is a "common currency" that is frequently used as an indicator of beneficial long-term fitness effects. We usually feel comfortable with that because

Sih and Christensen (2001) reviewed 134 studies to examine the success of optimal diet theory. They found that

Suspension feeders are

Pietrevicz and Kamil (1979, 1981) simulated predator-prey interactions in a laboratory between blue jays and moths. They found that the jays' ability to detect cryptic prey improved

Suspension feeding generally refers to

Cowlishaw (1997) studied the foraging behavior of a desert population of chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) and found that the baboons spent the most time foraging in which type of habitat at the research site?

Cowlishaw (1997) studied the foraging behavior of a desert population of chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) and found that over 90% of their food energy was found in which type of habitat at the research site?

When Tinbergen (1960) was observing birds bringing insects to their chicks, he noticed that they took insects in unexpected proportions.

Time spent checking other patches is time lost feeding. Research indicates that an animal is most likely to spend time "checking other patches"

Cheetahs, Northern gannets, and dragonflies are similar in that they each obtain their prey by means of

Risk sensitivity (with "risk" referring to variability in the food supply) has been documented in a variety of taxa, including insects, fish, birds, and mammals. It has been found to

Chipmunks will stuff food into their cheek pouches to carry back to their burrow. Giraldeau and Kramer (1982) found that laboratory chipmunks

Introduction

Approaches to the Study of Animal Behavior

Genetic Analysis of Behavior

Natural Selection and Behavior

Learning and Cognition

Physiological Analysis-Nerve Cells and Behavior

Physiological Analysis of Behavior- the Endocrine System

The Development of Behavior

Biological Clocks

Mechanisms of Orientation and Behavior

The Ecology and Evolution of Spiral Distribution

Antipredator Behavior

Reproductive Behavior

Parental Care and Mating Systems

Communications: Channels and Functions

The Evolution of Communication

Conflict

Group Living, Altruism, and Cooperation

Filters

Exam 12: Foraging Behavior

Reviews of the performance of the marginal value theorem have suggested that

Dynamic state-variable models are a much more sophisticated way to capture the complexity of real-life foraging and are directed primarily at variations in

Which of the following "rules of thumb" do crows seem to follow when making dietary decisions?

A special type of fungus, known to exist only in special fungus gardens, is actively cultivated by

Seabirds such as petrels and albatrosses detect their prey in the ocean by means of

A food item's "handling time" would best be considered a(n)

Rate of energy gain is a "common currency" that is frequently used as an indicator of beneficial long-term fitness effects. We usually feel comfortable with that because

Sih and Christensen (2001) reviewed 134 studies to examine the success of optimal diet theory. They found that

Suspension feeders are

Pietrevicz and Kamil (1979, 1981) simulated predator-prey interactions in a laboratory between blue jays and moths. They found that the jays' ability to detect cryptic prey improved

Suspension feeding generally refers to

Cowlishaw (1997) studied the foraging behavior of a desert population of chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) and found that the baboons spent the most time foraging in which type of habitat at the research site?

Cowlishaw (1997) studied the foraging behavior of a desert population of chacma baboons (Papio cynocephalus ursinus) and found that over 90% of their food energy was found in which type of habitat at the research site?

When Tinbergen (1960) was observing birds bringing insects to their chicks, he noticed that they took insects in unexpected proportions.

Time spent checking other patches is time lost feeding. Research indicates that an animal is most likely to spend time "checking other patches"

Cheetahs, Northern gannets, and dragonflies are similar in that they each obtain their prey by means of

Risk sensitivity (with "risk" referring to variability in the food supply) has been documented in a variety of taxa, including insects, fish, birds, and mammals. It has been found to

Chipmunks will stuff food into their cheek pouches to carry back to their burrow. Giraldeau and Kramer (1982) found that laboratory chipmunks

Introduction

Approaches to the Study of Animal Behavior

Genetic Analysis of Behavior

Natural Selection and Behavior

Learning and Cognition

Physiological Analysis-Nerve Cells and Behavior

Physiological Analysis of Behavior- the Endocrine System

The Development of Behavior

Biological Clocks

Mechanisms of Orientation and Behavior

The Ecology and Evolution of Spiral Distribution

Antipredator Behavior

Reproductive Behavior

Parental Care and Mating Systems

Communications: Channels and Functions

The Evolution of Communication

Conflict

Group Living, Altruism, and Cooperation

Filters