Neuroethology Exam 1 2026
Expert Verified | Ace the Test
Example of "Consider the behavior of social partnership" - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔-
Prairie voles (monogamous and cohabitate) v. meadow voles (polygamous,
no father involvement)
Animal behaviors can be explained at different levels: 2 pts - 🧠 ANSWER
✔✔1. Proximate causes (immediate) - or how the behavior occurs (ex.
hormones, neurochemistry, etc.)
2. Ultimate causes - why behavior occurs; evolutionary and historical
reasons
,*Behavioral ecologists mostly focus on ultimate causes
Levels of analysis in the study of animal behavior
2 pts Proximate Level - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. Development: how genetic-
developmental mechanisms influence assembly of an animal and its
internal components
2. Mechanism: how neuronal-hormonal mechanisms that develop in an
animal during its lifetime control what an animal can do behaviorally
Levels of analysis in the study of animal behavior
2 pts Ultimate Level - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. Evolutionary History: of behavioral
trait as affect by descent with modification from ancestral species
2. Adaptive Function: the adaptive value of a behavioral trait as affected by
the process of evolution by natural selection
3 pts Evolutionary tree of voles - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. common ancestor was
polygamous
-most distantly related red-backed vole is polygamous
2. Evolution of monogamy
3. Reversion to polygamy in Montane and Meadow
,2 General Points Why Monogamy? - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. Mate guarding
(prevent female mate from finding other mates)
2. Young lab
2 pts Mate guarding (prevent female mate from finding other mates) - 🧠
ANSWER ✔✔1. Experiment: tethered male prairie voles and let female
go... female would be promiscuous and go to multiple males ...evidence for
monogamy as mate guarding
2. ex. humans hold hands, arm around 'mate', etc.
6 pts Young Lab (Vanderbuilt) - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. monogamous v.
polygamous brains
2. oxytocin and vasopressin (neurotransmitter receptors expression levels -
OTR and VPR)
3. Prairie voles: OTR high in nucleus accumbens (reward), caudate
putamen
4. Prairie voles: VPR high in VP/ventral pallidum (involved in reward)
5. Meadow: VPR high in striatum
6. Experiment: Lac Z-VP/CP, V1aR-CP, V1aR-VP
COPYRIGHT©PROFFKERRYMARTIN 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE.
PRIVACY STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, -male can choose partner or stranger (meadow voles)
-LacZ-VP/CP and V1aR-CP --> controls (not much difference between time
spent with partner or stranger)
-V1aR-VP --> increase expression of VSR in VP --> vast preference for
partner (monogamy)
Explain the Possible History behind Monogamy in the Prairie Voles - 🧠
ANSWER ✔✔-Ancestral Species: polygynous males, which attempt to
dominate other males and control groups of females
-Infanticidal males, which gain mates by disposing of their pups
-Promiscuous females, which protect their young against male infanticide
-Mate-guarding males, which prevent female promiscuity
-Parental males, which care for their offspring
-Modern species: monogamous pairs, as in prairie vole
Other factors: number of predators, male:female ration
Expert Verified | Ace the Test
Example of "Consider the behavior of social partnership" - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔-
Prairie voles (monogamous and cohabitate) v. meadow voles (polygamous,
no father involvement)
Animal behaviors can be explained at different levels: 2 pts - 🧠 ANSWER
✔✔1. Proximate causes (immediate) - or how the behavior occurs (ex.
hormones, neurochemistry, etc.)
2. Ultimate causes - why behavior occurs; evolutionary and historical
reasons
,*Behavioral ecologists mostly focus on ultimate causes
Levels of analysis in the study of animal behavior
2 pts Proximate Level - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. Development: how genetic-
developmental mechanisms influence assembly of an animal and its
internal components
2. Mechanism: how neuronal-hormonal mechanisms that develop in an
animal during its lifetime control what an animal can do behaviorally
Levels of analysis in the study of animal behavior
2 pts Ultimate Level - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. Evolutionary History: of behavioral
trait as affect by descent with modification from ancestral species
2. Adaptive Function: the adaptive value of a behavioral trait as affected by
the process of evolution by natural selection
3 pts Evolutionary tree of voles - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. common ancestor was
polygamous
-most distantly related red-backed vole is polygamous
2. Evolution of monogamy
3. Reversion to polygamy in Montane and Meadow
,2 General Points Why Monogamy? - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. Mate guarding
(prevent female mate from finding other mates)
2. Young lab
2 pts Mate guarding (prevent female mate from finding other mates) - 🧠
ANSWER ✔✔1. Experiment: tethered male prairie voles and let female
go... female would be promiscuous and go to multiple males ...evidence for
monogamy as mate guarding
2. ex. humans hold hands, arm around 'mate', etc.
6 pts Young Lab (Vanderbuilt) - 🧠 ANSWER ✔✔1. monogamous v.
polygamous brains
2. oxytocin and vasopressin (neurotransmitter receptors expression levels -
OTR and VPR)
3. Prairie voles: OTR high in nucleus accumbens (reward), caudate
putamen
4. Prairie voles: VPR high in VP/ventral pallidum (involved in reward)
5. Meadow: VPR high in striatum
6. Experiment: Lac Z-VP/CP, V1aR-CP, V1aR-VP
COPYRIGHT©PROFFKERRYMARTIN 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE.
PRIVACY STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, -male can choose partner or stranger (meadow voles)
-LacZ-VP/CP and V1aR-CP --> controls (not much difference between time
spent with partner or stranger)
-V1aR-VP --> increase expression of VSR in VP --> vast preference for
partner (monogamy)
Explain the Possible History behind Monogamy in the Prairie Voles - 🧠
ANSWER ✔✔-Ancestral Species: polygynous males, which attempt to
dominate other males and control groups of females
-Infanticidal males, which gain mates by disposing of their pups
-Promiscuous females, which protect their young against male infanticide
-Mate-guarding males, which prevent female promiscuity
-Parental males, which care for their offspring
-Modern species: monogamous pairs, as in prairie vole
Other factors: number of predators, male:female ration
