Deck 9: Antipredator Behavior

Question 1

Cryptic coloration is an adaptation often associated with the following:

A) Social queuing
B) Sexual selection
C) Frequency-independent selection
D) Predation risk
E) Dominance status

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is associated with the effectiveness of cryptic coloration?

A) Social status
B) Mating frequency
C) Aggressive interactions
D) Dominance status
E) Survivorship

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In Eifler, Eifler, and Harris's (2008) experiment on whiptail lizards, how did individuals in pens with predators behave differently than controls?

A) They harassed the predator to deter attack.
B) They had higher levels of vigilance.
C) They formed tighter social groups.
D) They were less active.
E) They exhibited greater tail-flagging behavior.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What behavioral adaptation reduces predation risk in swallowtail butterflies?

A) They stop flying just before a predator attack.
B) They fly to locations in the environment that match their cryptic colorations
C) They form dense groups.
D) They fly into dense vegetation.
E) They use a startle display.

Question 5

Which of the following is involved in the foraging trade-off between the probability of being killed by a predator and the risk of starvation?

A) Search image formation
B) Mandibulation
C) Vigilance
D) Orientation
E) Public information

Question 6

According to the 2003 study by Yasué, Quinn, and Cresswell, what factor likely influenced redshanks to feed on patches in which predator attack rates were high?

A) Decreased aggressive interactions
B) Strong Allee effects
C) Enhanced reproductive success
D) The risk of starvation.
E) Reduced competition

Question 7

Reaney (2007) showed that when a predator attacks, fiddler crab males retreat to the safety of their burrow. What factor affects their latency to leave the burrow?

A) The size of the predator
B) Severity of the attack
C) The density of males in the area
D) Chemical cues from the predator
E) Potential mating opportunities

Question 8

Competition typically increases with the density of nearby individuals. However, Hoare and colleagues (2004) found that killifish in some circumstances prefer to associate with more rather than fewer fish. What can explain this observation?

A) Mimicry
B) Flash disappearance hypothesis
C) Move-on hypothesis
D) Density-dependent selection
E) Dilution effect

Question 9

Which of the following is associated with vigilance behavior?

A) Dilution effect
B) Group size effect
C) Selfish herd hypothesis
D) Move-on hypothesis
E) Search image hypothesis

Question 10

The selfish herd hypothesis predicts that individuals should do which of the following?

A) Never produce alarm calls
B) Associate with more dominant individuals
C) Associate with mixed-species groups
D) Attempt to move to the center of a group
E) Advertise to predators

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT associated with predator harassment behavior?

A) Cryptic morphology
B) Increased likelihood that the predator will leave the area
C) Decreased likelihood of predator attack
D) Rapid movements around a predator
E) Throwing or kicking objects at a predator

Question 12

In some species, individuals behave in ways that make them more apparent to a predator. Which of the following explains these observations?

A) Selfish herd hypothesis
B) Pursuit-deterrence hypothesis
C) The dilution effect hypothesis
D) Predation risk-energy intake rate trade-off
E) Predation risk-mating opportunity trade-off

Question 13

A researcher studied tail-flagging behavior in mule deer. She found that in response to observing a predator, individuals wagged their tail 90% of the time when close kin were nearby but only 10% of the time when only unrelated individuals were nearby. Which of the following explains these observations?

A) Alarm signal hypothesis
B) Flash disappearance hypothesis
C) Selfish herd hypothesis
D) Pursuit-deterrence hypothesis
E) Move-on hypothesis

Question 14

Gentry and Dyer (2002) found that caterpillars used all of the following defensive behaviors EXCEPT______________.

A) bite
B) regurgitate
C) drop
D) thrash
E) sting

Question 15

Explain how the dilution effect differs from the selfish herd hypothesis.

Question 16

Identify the unique predictions of the pursuit-deterrence and alarm signal hypotheses.

Question 17

Describe the fitness trade-off involved in the fiddler crab mating behavior study conducted by Leeann Reaney.

Question 18

Draw a graph of the relationship between group size and vigilance. Now draw a new graph that shows the relationship with an increase in predation risk in the environment.