Laboratory Exercises in Animal Behavior - Introduction - Worksheet

[All answers are in italics]

1. List five uses for animals (emotional or practical).

2. Define animal behaviorist.

   Scientists who study the behavior of animals

3. Assume that you are a famous scientist who has been asked to observe the neurotic behavior of a zoo's animal. The zoo wants to know why the animal is performing a certain behavior-pacing back and forth at the front of its cage. After spending many hours observing this animal and completing a physical examination, you come to the conclusion that the animal is performing a behavior that is related to its environment. You tell the zoo that it is possible that the animal is guarding its young (the pacing increases when young are present and people stand in front of the cage) or it could even be from boredom. (You try living your entire life in a tiny room.) What type of biologist are you? What do you think your fee should be for this advice? Why?

    Animal Behaviorist.

4. What are the two things that are required of the comparative method with regard to evolutionary questions?

   1) The animals being compared are members of an evlutionary lineage.

    2) We must know what the lineage is.

5. What is the scientific term for an "evolutionary family tree?"

   Phylogeny.

6. What does a functional analysis of animal behavior attempt to determine?

   Where and how a behavior affects an animal's ability to survive and reproduce.

7. Many scientists will describe an animal's ability to survive and reproduce as an "adaptation." Such adaptations are thought to result from what evolutionary mechanism?

   Natural selection.