Study Questions for Genes, Environment, Development and Behavior

1. Explain how sign stimuli involved in species recognition trigger a reply from another individual. Your answer must include the proper terminology (e.g., innate releasers and FAP). To focus your answer, explain the process in terms of motion detection and signature displays of Anolis lizards.

2. Could imprinting be considered a form of learning? Explain your answer in terms of associate theories of learning.

3. Explain caste determination in social hymenoptera. Be sure to explain where males (drone), queen, and sterile workers come from.

4. If an ant colony has no real leader, then how can the activities of the colony be coordinated?

5. All workers have the same morphology in a bee colony and yet workers are clearly specialized in various roles. What are four different roles or tasks that workers perform? Explain three competing theories that describe how tasks are allocated in a bee colony.

6. In contrast to bees, ants produce very different kinds of sterile workers. How does environmental control over caste determination in ants allow for a colony to be efficient in allocating workers to tasks?

7. Why does a cowbird have to have an innate sense of his species song? Even though his song is innate describe the effect of each sex on a cowbird male's developing song when he rejoins the flock of cowbirds during his puberty?