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Ch. 50 - Behavioral Ecology

Chapter 49, Problem 2

What do ultimate explanations of behavior focus on?

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Hi everyone. Let's look at the next question. Which of the following statements about research focused on the ultimate causation of behavior is correct. When we think about the ultimate causation of behavior, we're referring to how a certain behavior came about in the course of the evolution of a species. So we're looking at evolutionary history? What are the adaptive qualities of that behavior for the species? What makes that behavior uh allow the animal to be better adapted to its habitat? And what are the benefits to fitness for that organism? From the behavior that's as opposed to something like is it an innate behavior? Is a learned behavior more immediate causes of the behavior in a particular organism? The ultimate causation means how do that behavior come to give that come to evolve in that species? So what are the adaptive benefits that would lead it to be favored by natural selection? So let's look at that. Let's look at our answer choices, keeping that in mind and notice that choice D. Is all of the above. So there is a choice chance that all of these could be correct choice A. Says it emphasizes the root cause of the adaptive significance of the behavior. Well, that is correct. Again, we look at um What about that behavior helped the animal be better adapted to its environment. So we'll just mark that since we might have more than one correct choice. Choice B says it emphasizes the impact of behavior on fitness. Well, that's also correct fitness again, is that ability of a species to survive to reproduce and pass on its genes. So if we're looking for the ultimate causation of a behavior would say, how did that behavior improve the fitness that would cause it to be selected by natural selection? Since we already have more than one correct answer again in the interest of speed. If I wanna test, I'd go ahead and select choice. D. All of the above is the correct answer. But to be thorough, we'll look at choice. See here says it emphasizes the evolution of behavior and that is also correct. Again, we're talking about the ultimate causation. How did that behavior evolve in the species? So which of the following statements about research focused on the ultimate causation of behaviors, correct choice D. All of the above. See you next video.