Animal Behavior definitions Flashcards

Actions an organism takes in response to stimuli, including interactions with other organisms and the environment, influenced by genetic, neurological, and ecological factors.

Study of how ecological pressures shape animal behavior, focusing on both the mechanisms (proximate causation) and evolutionary reasons (ultimate causation) behind these behaviors.

Ultimate causation explains why a behavior occurs, focusing on its evolutionary significance and how it enhances an organism's survival and reproductive success.

The ability of an organism to survive, reproduce, and pass on its genes to the next generation, often influenced by behaviors that enhance survival and reproductive success.

Genetically programmed actions triggered by specific stimuli, performed without prior learning, and often crucial for survival, such as a goose retrieving an egg that has rolled out of its nest.

Innate, stereotyped behavior triggered by a specific stimulus, performed to completion once initiated, regardless of changes in the environment.

An external cue that triggers a fixed action pattern in an animal, such as a red belly causing a male stickleback fish to attack.

A type of learning that involves creating a mental map of an environment, allowing an organism to navigate and remember the locations of objects or landmarks relative to each other.

A critical period in early life when an animal forms attachments and develops a concept of its parent or other key stimuli, often irreversible and occurring only during a specific time window.

A critical developmental phase when an organism is particularly receptive to specific environmental stimuli, crucial for acquiring certain behaviors or skills, typically occurring early in life.

Chemical signals released into the environment to communicate with other members of the same species, often influencing behavior or physiology, commonly used by insects.

Food-seeking behaviors encompassing searching, identifying, capturing, and consuming food, influenced by natural selection to maximize energy gain and minimize risks and costs.

A type of natural selection where individuals compete for mates or are chosen based on traits that indicate fitness, influencing reproductive success and driving the evolution of certain behaviors and characteristics.