AP BIOLOGY

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

INTRODUCTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
A male stickleback attacks other males during mating season. What is the ultimate cause?
A
the attack increases the chances of passing on his genes
B
the red on the other male causes the attack
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -PROXIMATE CAUSE: The red belly of the intruding male acts as a sign stimulus that releases aggression in a male stickleback. ULTIMATE CAUSE: By chasing away other male sticklebacks, a male decreases the chance that eggs laid in his nesting territory will be fertilized by another male.

Detailed explanation-2: -When a male stickleback spots another nearby male, he will launch into a fixed action pattern involving aggressive displays designed to scare off the stranger. The specific stimulus that triggers this fixed action pattern is the red belly coloration pattern characteristic of males during breeding season.

Detailed explanation-3: -A male stickleback fish attacks other male sticklebacks that invade its nesting territory. The red belly of the intruding male acts as the sign stimulus that releases the aggressive behavior.

Detailed explanation-4: -In other words, proximate causes are the mechanisms directly underlying the behaviour. For example, an animal separated from the… In contrast, the ultimate causes of social behaviours include their evolutionary or historical origins and the selective processes that have shaped their past and current functions.

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