Zoology 304
13 September 2001
Dr. Bowen
Main Points to Understand from Readings in Topoff for the First Exam
Chapter 4: The pit and the antlion by Howard Topoff.
Topoff and students wanted to know what environmental factors provided the selective pressure
for the evolution of doodling. What hypothses did they test to answer this? How did they test them?
Topoff and students also studied the stimuli that elicited the responses of antlions to obstacles. What
experiments did they conduct and how did their results help them understand the proximate control of
antlion behavior?
Chapter 7: Invertebrate learning by Martin J. Wells.
Wells describes some fascinating experiments on learning in octapuses (or is it octapi?). As you
read the essay, think about the types of experiments that allowed Wells to distinguish between tasks that
octopuses are able to learn and ones that they are not able to learn. How do these differences in learning
ability relate to their morphology or the way they perceive and behave in their normal environment?
Chapter 20: New theory on a fabled exodus by Kai Curry-Lindahl.
“For centuries, stories about the Norway lemming have spread all over the world.” And it is one
of the most intriguing stories of animal behavior—the animal that commits “suicide”, a behavior that is
very difficult to explain from an evolutionary perspective. But whatever the ultimate explanation for this
behavior, it is still possible and interesting to explore the proximate causes of the behavior. What
stimulates lemmings that are distributed over a wide geographic area to disperse or migrate? This essay
describes studies that have look at proximate causes of the lemming exodus. What are some of the
factors that have been examined? Do you think the evidence Curry-Lindahl presents is convincing for
any of the causes?
Chapter 21: Components of recognition in ducklings by Gilbert Gottlieb.
This essay discusses filial imprinting in ducks. It contains nice examples of many of the methods
of studying animal behavior we have discussed in class over the past month. Here are some things to
think about as you read the essay. What were Gottleib’s hypotheses for the relative importance of
auditory cues in hole nesters vs. ground nesters? How did he test these hypotheses? What were the
relative contributions of field observations and laboratory studies to his study? How did Gottleib use the
comparative method to explore imprinting in ducklings? What does Gottleib conclude are the relative
importances of auditory and visual cues in filial imprinting compared to sexual imprinting?
Chapter 24: Sea Lion Shenanigans by Fred Bruemmer
This essay describes important events in the lives of sea lion pups. As you read the essay, think
about the following points: What cues do Hooker’s sea lion pups and mothers use to recognize each
other? What is Bruemmer’s evidence for the use of the various cues that he describes? What are some
important developmental events in the lives of sea lion pups and in what way is communication between
the pup and its mother important in helping the pup achieve those developmental milestones? Many sea
lion pups die each year from crawling down rabbit burrows that they can’t get out of. Why hasn’t natural
selection eliminated this maladaptive behavior from the population? Would you expect selection to do so
in the future?
Chapter 25: At play in the fields by Phyllis Dolhinow.
Dolhinow suggests that play is an important part of the development of primates. As you read it,
think about the the reasons and some evidence she provides. What are the relative contributions of field
and laboratory work to the understanding of primate behavior? What have we learned from each?