BIOL2010 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Optimal Foraging Theory, Fixed Action Pattern, Proximate And Ultimate Causation
Document Summary
Behavioral ecology: how organisms respond to particular abiotic and biotic stimuli in their environment, study of behavioral interactions between individuals within populations and communities usually in an evolutionary context. Has to do with natural selection and the currency of natural selection is fitness: adaptation. Types of questions asked by behavior: ernst mayr. Came up with 2 general categories related to biological causation. Proximate causation (how?: understanding the external and internal stimuli. Ultimate causation (why?: understanding the value of behavior and how it increases behavior and, lots of different behaviors and different ways to calculate fitness. Don"t know how to do it until you learn. When you get a stimulus, you have the same behavior every time. Depending on the conditions, you could have different actions or behaviors. When a kangaroo rat hears a rattle snake rattle, it will jump backwards. Fixed action pattern: innate and no flexibility to the response, optimal foraging theory.
