Tag: ethology

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Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

Which of the following is a simple form of learned behaviour?

  1. Dominance

  2. Reflex

  3. Instinct

  4. Imprinting

  5. Habituation

  6. Both D and E
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
F Correct answer
Explanation

Both habituation and imprinting are simple learned behaviours. Both are non associative learning process which means not associated with any reward or punishment. In habituation, the animal becomes habituated to the specific type of stimulus after repeated exposure. In imprinting, the learned behaviour occurs at a particular stage of maturation process in life. It mostly occurs in early stage of life of animals. Like the animal first recognizes the mother. This behaviour helps the animal in their survival in young age. 

Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

The behaviour of organisms belonging to the same species is shown by

  1. Periodical cicadas that emerge the same year

  2. Fish that become fertile during different seasons

  3. Ungulates that mate frequently and yield sterile offspring

  4. Rodents that mate frequently and yield no viable offspring

  5. Tropical birds that court their mates with differing dances or songs.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Behaviour of organisms which belong to the same species can be seen in periodical cicadas that emerge the same year. The nymphs of periodical cicadas develop underground for 13 to 17years and live on juices from plant roots. After this period, they emerge from the soil and molt into winged adults. There are seven species of periodical cicadas four with 13-year life cycles and three with 17-year cycles. Each species of the periodical cicada has a distinctive song.

Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

Identify the animal behavior.
Geese recognize a ringing bell as mother if exposed to it during a critical period shortly after hatching.

  1. Reasoning/insight

  2. Imprinting

  3. Classical conditioning

  4. Habituation

  5. Instinct
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
If Geese reconginzes a ringing bell as mother if exposed to it during a critical period shortly after hatching, it could be called as 'imprinting'. Imprinting is a type of behaviour in which an organism behaves in the same way to which it is exposed immediately after birth. The first object viewed or heard by an organism is recognized and gets imprinted in the mind.
Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

Read the following passage and answer the following question.
A group of 10 newly hatched chicks was separated into two smaller groups containing five chicks each. One group (Group A) was left with the mother hen, the other group (Group B) was taken shortly after hatching and kept with a mother goose. The chicks in Group A displayed normal behavior and followed the mother hen around. The chicks in Group B followed the mother goose around and exhibited goose like behavior, such as swimming. After one week, Group B was reunited with the mother hen, but ignored her, and instead continued to follow the mother goose around the barnyard. If exposed to a mother pig during the period shortly after hatching, the chicks in Group B would exhibit

  1. Pig like behaviour

  2. Goose like behaviour

  3. Chick like behaviour

  4. Unique behaviour

  5. Unknown behaviour
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A form of learning that occurs during a brief genetically determined critical period shortly after birth is called as imprinting. Because the chicks learnt to follow mother goose and mother hen just after birth; it is imprinting. If they were exposed to mother pig shortly after hatching, they would exhibit pig like behavoiur.

Thus, the correct answer is option (A).

Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

Read the passage and answer the following question.
Mimicry is an important biotic factor in communities all over the world. For instance, viceroy butterflies closely resemble (mimic) monarch butterflies. Birds that eat viceroys enjoy a good meal, but those that eat monarchs retch right away. The behaviour of viceroy butterfly describes the type of mimicry is

  1. Mullerian

  2. Aggressive

  3. Crypsis

  4. Batesian

  5. Deflection
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Batesian mimicry refers to the resemblance of a harmless or palatable species with that of a dangerous or unpalatable one to make predators avoid them. It is opposite to Mullerian mimicry wherein dangerous, unpalatable, or poisonous species resemble one another to make predator recognize them easily. Viceroy butterflies mimic distasteful monarch butterflies to avoid predation, exhibiting Batesian mimicry. Predators or parasites exhibiting resemblance to harmless model so that their respective prey/host can not identify them exhibit aggressive mimicry. Crypsis (being not obvious to predator) and deflection (mimicry, camouflage etc) are antipredator behaviours. Thus, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

In batesian mimicry, one species resembles another, poisonous species. 
I. Poisonous species is more common than mimic
II. Poisonous species is present in same area as mimic
III. Poisonous species competes for resources with mimic
IV. Poisonous species is distinctly or brightly colored

The effectiveness of batesian mimicry can be increased by

  1. I and II

  2. I, II and III

  3. I, II and IV

  4. II, III and IV

  5. I, II, III and IV
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Batesian mimicry refers to the resemblance of a harmless or palatable species with that of a dangerous or unpalatable one to make predators avoid them. A more common and distinct poisonous species present in the same area as mimic become familiar to predators of mimic and thereby increase the effectiveness of mimicry. Competition between mimic and poisonous species would harm either of them while mimicry is an adaptation for the protection of mimic. Thus, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice biology animal behaviour ethology natural selection coordination in human beings- chemical control endocrine system in humans

A behavioral strategy of adaptation called echolocation is found in 

  1. bats

  2. butterfly

  3. praying mantiis

  4. arctic tern
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bats are nocturnal flying mammals which do not employ eyesight for location of their path. food place of rest etc. They produce high frequency sound which produces echoes after striking various objects on the principle of sonar. Echoes are then analysed by bats to know their path.  

Multiple choice biology option a: neurobiology and behaviour ethology animal behaviour natural selection

An instinct is

  1. Caring for offspring

  2. Habituation

  3. Operant conditioning

  4. Associative behavior

  5. Observational learning
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

  • Instinct is the natural force that causes a person or animal to behave in a particular way without thinking or learning about it.
  • In almost every species of animals, caring for offsprings until they are mature enough is seen. 
Hence, the correct option is 'Caring for offspring'.

Multiple choice biology option a: neurobiology and behaviour ethology animal behaviour natural selection

Which of the following is the most simplest form of learned behaviour?

  1. Dominance

  2. Reflex

  3. Instinct

  4. Imprinting

  5. Habituation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Instinct is an innate, typically fixed pattern of behaviour in animals in response to certain stimuli. An instinct is something that doesn't need to learn and it happens naturally, without even thinking about it and so is the simplest form of learned behaviour.