Animal Behavior Final Exam – Comprehensive Study Guide, Key Concepts and Full Course
Review
1. What is particularly interesting and/or unusual about the alarm cries produced by prairie
dogs? - ANS ✔✔The alarm call is short, shrill notes in rapid sequence and they happened when
they walked within 50 feet of the colony.
Different for every predator that comes around
1. How do prairie dogs respond when they spot a coyote? (listen to the recording). - ANS
✔✔They come out to alert the cohort- short little squeaks
1. How was it shown that African vervet monkeys use different "words" to represent different
types of predators? Why was this discovery considered such an important finding for animal
communication studies? - ANS ✔✔The predators were very different in the risk they posed;
different call for different predators
Ariel vs snake calls- they gave a different physical response to the different predator begin
coded for
1. What did researchers discover about alarm calls when they walked through the prairie dog
colony wearing different color shirts, and walking at different speeds? - ANS ✔✔Recognizing
individual humans- the call describe the different humans
5. When presented with a novel object (a painted wooden oval), what type of alarm call did
they produce? Was it the same as an alarm given for any of their predators (e.g. coyote? skunk?
human?)? - ANS ✔✔With the oval they had a new call; the alarm call was different for different
objects
6. Using the example of coyotes, why did Dr. Slobodchikoff believe that prairie dogs evolved the
capacity to use different alarm calls for different individuals of the same species? - ANS ✔✔He
believed that prairie dogs evolved the capacity to use different alarm calls for different
individuals of the same species because the different animals within the same species have
different appearance with different hunting strategies that they would want to warn about.
,7. In your opinion, does the use by prairie dogs of different calls to describe physical properties
of different potential predators, such their color patterns, or speed of movement, represent the
use of language by these animals? - ANS ✔✔Yes it does, they have nouns and adjectives but of
course they will not do things with language that humans can do
Represent the outside world
Able to show that they produce different calls for the different predators which is signaling to
the other animals in the cohort what danger is nearby
1. Why did the author originally try to avoid Laurence of the Hyenas? - ANS ✔✔Oiginally, the
author tied to avoid Laurence of the Hyenas because he as a large bulking man and tended to
seclude himself in his tent alone ; he also had the unconscious habit of thrusting his chin and
dark beard at bothersome males which indiciated a dominance display
2. What is a palindrome? - ANS ✔✔A palindrome is a word that is spelled the same forward as it
is backward like racecar.
3. Describe the hunting prowess of hyenas. How do they compare to lions? - ANS ✔✔Heyenas
are great predators
Sometimes scavenge but are primary hunters
4. Why are hyenas often observed skulking around lion kills during the day? - ANS ✔✔The
hyenas spend the whole night after the prey trying to capture it but the lions have a technique
where they lurk around and then attack the prey without nearly having to do any work so then
they get the animal in the morning.
5. Why do male baboons form coalitions? Why would a lower ranking baboon form a coalition
with a higher-ranking baboon? Why do you think these coalitions are often unstable? (Consider
the example of Benjamin and Joshua in your answer). - ANS ✔✔Baboons form coalitions as
their best attempt to overthrow the highest ranking male of the pack. A lower ranking baboon
would form a coalition with a higher ranking baboon because then they would work together to
overthrow the highest ranking male and they both would move up in rank. They also remember
, how they were treated in the past by the alpha male and work together to overthrow them. The
coalitions are often unstable because it sometimes happens that male baboons that should not
be of high rank sometimes win a high rank as a fluke like Benjamin did. Benjamin and Joshua
were the highest rank but were not able to fight off the other baboons and often had to flee
and they had to form a coalition together in order to help each other keep high rank.
6. Why do scientists generally believe the reciprocal cooperation can only evolve in species in
which individuals recognize one another and which individuals have long-term associations? -
ANS ✔✔Seems to occur in a few species and generally occurs in individual that can recognize
and remember individuals that stay in close relations so they can hope ot get something in
return
7. Describe the manner in which female baboons exercise some choice in selecting a mate. -
ANS ✔✔The females have some control and can use tricks that make it possible to have some
mating choice
Why did Bateman (1948) believe that males compete more intensely for mating opportunities
than do females in most species? Explain this in your own words. - ANS ✔✔Bateman believe
that males compete more intensely for mating opportunities than do females in most species
because males are able to produce gametes very easily and find their success in inseminating
females where as it is very costly for a female to produce a gamete so they are not as
competitive and willing to mate.
2. What did Trivers (1972) and Williams (1966) add to the concept of what controls the extent to
which there is competition among individuals of the same sex for mates? What phenomena did
Bateman's theory fail to predict? - ANS ✔✔Trivers and Williams added that all of the goods and
services that contribute to the next generation also go in to the competitive differences.
Bateman's theory failed to predict the reduced sexual differences seen in monogamous species
and the competitive females and choosy males seen in species with reverse sex roles.
Why, overall, are females in most species likely to be the choosier sex? - ANS ✔✔The female
investment has been higher from the start
Review
1. What is particularly interesting and/or unusual about the alarm cries produced by prairie
dogs? - ANS ✔✔The alarm call is short, shrill notes in rapid sequence and they happened when
they walked within 50 feet of the colony.
Different for every predator that comes around
1. How do prairie dogs respond when they spot a coyote? (listen to the recording). - ANS
✔✔They come out to alert the cohort- short little squeaks
1. How was it shown that African vervet monkeys use different "words" to represent different
types of predators? Why was this discovery considered such an important finding for animal
communication studies? - ANS ✔✔The predators were very different in the risk they posed;
different call for different predators
Ariel vs snake calls- they gave a different physical response to the different predator begin
coded for
1. What did researchers discover about alarm calls when they walked through the prairie dog
colony wearing different color shirts, and walking at different speeds? - ANS ✔✔Recognizing
individual humans- the call describe the different humans
5. When presented with a novel object (a painted wooden oval), what type of alarm call did
they produce? Was it the same as an alarm given for any of their predators (e.g. coyote? skunk?
human?)? - ANS ✔✔With the oval they had a new call; the alarm call was different for different
objects
6. Using the example of coyotes, why did Dr. Slobodchikoff believe that prairie dogs evolved the
capacity to use different alarm calls for different individuals of the same species? - ANS ✔✔He
believed that prairie dogs evolved the capacity to use different alarm calls for different
individuals of the same species because the different animals within the same species have
different appearance with different hunting strategies that they would want to warn about.
,7. In your opinion, does the use by prairie dogs of different calls to describe physical properties
of different potential predators, such their color patterns, or speed of movement, represent the
use of language by these animals? - ANS ✔✔Yes it does, they have nouns and adjectives but of
course they will not do things with language that humans can do
Represent the outside world
Able to show that they produce different calls for the different predators which is signaling to
the other animals in the cohort what danger is nearby
1. Why did the author originally try to avoid Laurence of the Hyenas? - ANS ✔✔Oiginally, the
author tied to avoid Laurence of the Hyenas because he as a large bulking man and tended to
seclude himself in his tent alone ; he also had the unconscious habit of thrusting his chin and
dark beard at bothersome males which indiciated a dominance display
2. What is a palindrome? - ANS ✔✔A palindrome is a word that is spelled the same forward as it
is backward like racecar.
3. Describe the hunting prowess of hyenas. How do they compare to lions? - ANS ✔✔Heyenas
are great predators
Sometimes scavenge but are primary hunters
4. Why are hyenas often observed skulking around lion kills during the day? - ANS ✔✔The
hyenas spend the whole night after the prey trying to capture it but the lions have a technique
where they lurk around and then attack the prey without nearly having to do any work so then
they get the animal in the morning.
5. Why do male baboons form coalitions? Why would a lower ranking baboon form a coalition
with a higher-ranking baboon? Why do you think these coalitions are often unstable? (Consider
the example of Benjamin and Joshua in your answer). - ANS ✔✔Baboons form coalitions as
their best attempt to overthrow the highest ranking male of the pack. A lower ranking baboon
would form a coalition with a higher ranking baboon because then they would work together to
overthrow the highest ranking male and they both would move up in rank. They also remember
, how they were treated in the past by the alpha male and work together to overthrow them. The
coalitions are often unstable because it sometimes happens that male baboons that should not
be of high rank sometimes win a high rank as a fluke like Benjamin did. Benjamin and Joshua
were the highest rank but were not able to fight off the other baboons and often had to flee
and they had to form a coalition together in order to help each other keep high rank.
6. Why do scientists generally believe the reciprocal cooperation can only evolve in species in
which individuals recognize one another and which individuals have long-term associations? -
ANS ✔✔Seems to occur in a few species and generally occurs in individual that can recognize
and remember individuals that stay in close relations so they can hope ot get something in
return
7. Describe the manner in which female baboons exercise some choice in selecting a mate. -
ANS ✔✔The females have some control and can use tricks that make it possible to have some
mating choice
Why did Bateman (1948) believe that males compete more intensely for mating opportunities
than do females in most species? Explain this in your own words. - ANS ✔✔Bateman believe
that males compete more intensely for mating opportunities than do females in most species
because males are able to produce gametes very easily and find their success in inseminating
females where as it is very costly for a female to produce a gamete so they are not as
competitive and willing to mate.
2. What did Trivers (1972) and Williams (1966) add to the concept of what controls the extent to
which there is competition among individuals of the same sex for mates? What phenomena did
Bateman's theory fail to predict? - ANS ✔✔Trivers and Williams added that all of the goods and
services that contribute to the next generation also go in to the competitive differences.
Bateman's theory failed to predict the reduced sexual differences seen in monogamous species
and the competitive females and choosy males seen in species with reverse sex roles.
Why, overall, are females in most species likely to be the choosier sex? - ANS ✔✔The female
investment has been higher from the start
