1. AP Biology
Chapter 51 ~ Behavioral Biology

3. Proximate and Ultimate Questions
Proximate, or “how,” questions about behavior
Focus on the environmental stimuli that trigger a behavior
Focus on the genetic, physiological, and anatomical mechanisms underlying a behavioral act

4. Ultimate, or “why,” questions about behavior
Address the evolutionary significance of a behavior

5. Fixed Action Patterns A fixed action pattern (FAP)
Is a sequence of unlearned, innate behaviors that is unchangeable
Once initiated, is usually carried to completion

6. A FAP is triggered by an external sensory stimulus
Known as a sign stimulus

7. In male stickleback fish, the stimulus for attack behavior
Is the red underside of an intruder
Figure 51.3a
(a) A male three-spined stickleback fish shows its red underside.

8. When presented with unrealistic models
As long as some red is present, the attack behavior occurs
Figure 51.3b
(b) The realistic model at the top, without a red underside, produces no aggressive response in a male three-spined stickleback fish. The other models, with red undersides, produce strong responses.

9. Proximate and ultimate causes for the FAP attack behavior in male stickleback fish
Figure 51.4
ULTIMATE CAUSE: By chasing away other male sticklebacks, a male decreases the chance that eggs laid in his nesting territory will be fertilized by another male.
BEHAVIOR: A male stickleback fish attacks other male sticklebacks that invade its nesting territory.
PROXIMATE CAUSE: The red belly of the intruding male acts as a sign stimulus
that releases aggression in a male stickleback.

12. Learning
Habituation~ loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey

13. Learning
Imprinting~ limited learning within a specific time period •critical period
(Lorenz, ‘73 Nobel)

14. There are proximate and ultimate causes for this type of behavior
Figure 51.5
BEHAVIOR: Young geese follow and imprint on their mother.
PROXIMATE CAUSE: During an early, critical developmental stage, the young geese observe their mother moving away from them and calling.
ULTIMATE CAUSE: On average, geese that follow and imprint on their mother receive more care and learn necessary skills, and thus have a greater chance of surviving than those that do not follow their mother.

16. Classical conditioning is a type of associative learning
In which an arbitrary stimulus is associated with a particular outcome

18. Operant conditioning is another type of associative learning
In which an animal learns to associate one of its behaviors with a reward or punishment
Figure 51.16

22. Social behavior
Sociobiology~ evolutionary theory applied to social behavior (Hamilton)
Agonistic behavior~ contest behavior determining access to resources
Dominance hierarchy~ linear “pecking order”
Territoriality~ an area an individual defends excluding others

24. Social behavior Mating systems: •promiscuous~ no strong pair bonds
•monogamous~ one male/one female
•polygamous~ one with many
•polygyny~ one male/many females
•polyandry~ one female/many males

25. Altruistic behavior
Inclusive fitness~ total effect an individual has on proliferating its genes by its own offspring and aid to close relatives
Coefficient of relatedness~ proportion of genes that are identical because of common ancestors
Kin selection~ aiding related individuals altruistically
Reciprocal altruism~ exchange of aid; humans?

27. A bird with a “wingman”…why?