Question 1

Most ideas about the evolutionary significance of behaviour come from

Accepted Answer

A)  comparisons within species. 
B)  comparisons between species. 
C)  experimental manipulations. 
D)  examining genetic markers. 
E)  DNA electrophoresis.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an explanation for the evolution of co-operative behaviour?

Accepted Answer

A)  Competition for breeding territories 
B)  Manipulation of offspring by parents 
C)  Inclusive fitness 
D)  Group selection 
E)  Kin selection

Question 3

Dominance hierarchies in chickens provide an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  reciprocal altruism. 
B)  polyandry. 
C)  eusocial behaviour. 
D)  social behaviour. 
E)  polygyny.

Question 4

Contests between animals often end in ritualistic displays, rather than a physical fight, because

Accepted Answer

A)  contests are evolutionarily unstable strategies. 
B)  non-fighting males steal the resource while the others fight. 
C)  the value of the resource exceeds the cost of fighting. 
D)  the social group intervenes. 
E)  of the cost of injuries to combatants.

Question 5

An example of aggressive mimicry would be

Accepted Answer

A)  a duck shooter blowing a horn that reproduces the mating call of a male duck. 
B)  a harmless arthropod that has the same coloration patterns as a stinging ant. 
C)  a harmless arthropod that assumes the same aggressive posture as a stinging ant when threatened. 
D)  a young cuckoo chick parasitising the nest of the fairy wren. These birds eject the fairy wren eggs and allow themselves to be raised by the fairy wren parents. 
E)  when, as in Pavlov's experiment, the dog salivates in response to the bell ring.

Question 6

Polygyny is a mating system in which

Accepted Answer

A)  a female mates with several males. 
B)  a male mates with several females. 
C)  females and males mate with several individuals. 
D)  a male mates with one or two females only. 
E)  a long-term pair bond is formed.

Question 7

Animals obtain their food in diverse ways. However foraging behaviour of animals has a common feature which is

Accepted Answer

A)  animals forage in a haphazard manner to find what they like. 
B)  animals make choices that maximise their survival. 
C)  animals forage at night to avoid predators. 
D)  animals forage for whatever is available in their territory. 
E)  All of the answers are correct.

Question 8

A scientist is studying animal behaviour in water fowl and wants to produce a generation of offspring that will follow her as part of her studies. What developmental behaviour could she manipulate to achieve this?

Accepted Answer

A)  Maturational effects 
B)  Causality 
C)  Adaptation 
D)  Observational loci polymorphism via microsatellites 
E)  Imprinting

Question 9

Wandering albatrosses produce young that need a long period of parental care. Both males and females provide this care, so you would predict that the most likely mating system found in albatrosses is

Accepted Answer

A)  polygyny. 
B)  polyandry. 
C)  promiscuity. 
D)  monogamy. 
E)  polygamy.

Question 10

A change in an individual's behaviour that is due to its experience is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  mature behaviour. 
B)  innate behaviour. 
C)  learning. 
D)  artificial selection. 
E)  proximate explanation.

Question 11

Hibernation behaviour in black bears is triggered by diminishing food availability. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  development. 
B)  adaptive value. 
C)  causation. 
D)  vernalisation. 
E)  stratification.

Question 12

Prey animals that exhibit the characteristics of other unpalatable organisms to reduce the probability of predation are

Accepted Answer

A)  defensive mimics. 
B)  aggressive mimics. 
C)  camouflaged. 
D)  mutualistic. 
E)  communal.

Question 13

Natural selection has favoured numerous anatomical, physical and behavioural characteristics that are defence mechanisms against predators. This includes

Accepted Answer

A)  cryptic species. 
B)  camouflaged species. 
C)  resemble other species. 
D)  mimicry of other species. 
E)  All of these are mechanisms.

Question 14

Which of the following does NOT help to explain the evolution of co-operative societies?

Accepted Answer

A)  Inclusive fitness 
B)  Kin selection 
C)  Sexual selection 
D)  Selection favouring parental self-interest 
E)  Indirect fitness

Question 15

The colourful plumage of the bird of paradise (Paradisea raggiana) has evolved

Accepted Answer

A)  through intrasexual selection. 
B)  through intersexual selection. 
C)  through sperm competition. 
D)  as a result of genetic drift. 
E)  as protection against predators.

Question 16

Contests for resources between individuals of the same species

Accepted Answer

A)  frequently result in serious injury or death. 
B)  never result in serious injury or death. 
C)  never involve physical contact. 
D)  occasionally involve physical contact. 
E)  rarely result in serious injury or death.

Question 17

The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) avoids predation by remaining perfectly still, with eyes almost shut and beak facing upwards. Combined with its drab, grey plumage, it employs what kind of defence mechanism against predation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mmutualistic protection 
B)  Flee 
C)  Chemical 
D)  Mimicry 
E)  Cryptic

Question 18

If male satin bower birds learn to construct and decorate bowers from their parents, this behaviour would be explained by

Accepted Answer

A)  causation. 
B)  development. 
C)  adaptive value. 
D)  evolutionary history. 
E)  ethology.

Question 19

Some species of ants tend to protect aphids, which in return produce honeydew, a source of food for the ants. This type of relationship is called

Accepted Answer

A)  parasitism. 
B)  predation. 
C)  mutualism. 
D)  mimicry. 
E)  communal.

Question 20

Explanations of animal behaviour fall into two classes. These are

Accepted Answer

A)  ultimate explanations and functional explanations. 
B)  functional explanations and proximate explanations. 
C)  causative explanations and ultimate explanations. 
D)  proximate explanations and ultimate explanations. 
E)  causative explanations and functional explanations.

Exam 31: Animal Behaviour