Animal Behavior Final Exam

Acoustic signals are specific to the type of environment the animal lives in. For example, if the animal lives in a forest where there is a lot of potential for interference, the animal is more likely to have short and simple sounds. However, if the animal lives in an open grassland, it can have a more complex sound.

This strategy instructs players to play dove if you are a territory holder, and hawk if you are not. Thus, when an intruder approaches a territory, the territory holder flees rather than fighting (ex. mexican spiders pg. 467).

This theory for play suggests that it exists to develop the physical and psychological skills necessary to handle unexpected events in which the animals experiences a loss of control. From this theory, a number of specific predictions regarding animal play were generated.

The sender and the receiver of the signal is the same individual. ex.) in echo-location- dolphins or bats use echo-location to gain information about food items in the habitat.

This strategy instructs an individual to play hawk if it is a territory holder, but to play dove if it does not own a territory. In a contest, the resident wins and the intruder retreats (ex. speckled wood butterfly pg. 466).

The medium through which the signal must pass, which can be air, water or ground

Experimental manipulation of the amount of daylight and darkness animals are exposed to such that they experience a light-dark cycle that is different from the normal cycle at that time of the year

Communication occurs when there is a change in the probability of a state occurring in the receiver as a result of receiving a signal through a channel(air, water or ground).

Ability to change strategy with respect to environmental changes

The act of an individual gathering information that another individual of the same species has left behind, and using that to help in choosing where to settle. Ex.) Male lizards settle more in areas where there are other lizards already there. (They cue in on other individuals who have already evaluated the territory.

Information about yourself that is unintentionally left behind, thus giving away information that was not necessarily intended for the receiver. An example of this is leaving behind a footprint

When an individual is more aggressive towards strangers than neighbors(in breeding sites). [Neighbors have lower risk of invading each others territories, no more fighting needed to assess neighbors ability and common defense against intruders.]

Is a receiver error, as a result of the signalers actions

Rank orderings of the individuals living in social groups. Individuals at the top of the hierarchies obtain access to more food, mating opportunities, and safer territories

Receiver listening in w/o the signalers knowledge. no cost to signaler but receiver benefits