bio 35.1-35.9 terms

behavior

an action carried out by muscles under control of the nervous system in response to an environmental cue

behavioral ecology

the study of behavior in an evolutionary context

proximate questions

concern the immediate reason for the behavior

stimuli

environmental cues that cause stimulus

proximate causes

answers to proximate questions

ultimate questions

address why a particular behavior occurs

ultimate causes

evolutionary explanations for behavior

innate behavior

behavior that is under strong genetic control

fixed action patterns

an unchangeable series of actions triggered by a specific stimulus

learning

the modification of a behavior based on specific experiences

habituation

when an animal learns not to respond to a specific stimulus

imprinting

learning that is limited to a specific time period in an animals life; usually irreversible

sensitive period

limited phase in animals development where imprinting can occur

kinesis

a random movement in response to a stmulus

taxis

movement towards or away from a stimulus

spatial learning

animals establishing memories of landmarks in their environment that indicate locations of food, nests, mates, and hazards

migration

the regular back and forth movement of animals in between two geographic areas to access food resources and breeding grounds

associative learning

ability to associate one environmental feature with another (link stimulus to outcome)

trial and error learning

animals learning to associate one of its behavior with a positive or negative effect

social learning

learning by observing the behavior of others

cognition

process carried out by the animals nervous system to perceive, store, integrate, and use information gathered by the senses

problem solving

the process of applying past experiences to overcome obstacles in novel situations