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Two populations of the highly ornamented white-crested sparrow species are spatially separated by a mountain range. Males from the two populations exhibit differing elaborate courtship displays. When a female appears, the males from the eastern population approach the female while bobbing their heads and spreading their wings, while the western population approaches a female by hopping and flapping their wings. Individuals from each population reared in isolation exhibited the same courtship displays as those in the wild.
-When presented with a model of a female, a male from the eastern population will perform the courtship display to completion, regardless of a eliciting a response from the "female." This is an example of
A)a fixed action pattern.
B)agonistic behaviour.
C)territorial behaviour.
D)social behaviour.
E)associative learning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The male from the eastern population exhibiting the same courtship display to completion regardless of a response from the "female" is an example of a fixed action pattern, which is a behavior that is innate and stereotypical and can be triggered by a specific stimulus.

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