AP Biology Practice Test 14: Transmission of Information

In the fall of 1957, Hans Fromme was conducting research at the Frankfurt Zoological Institute in Germany. He noticed that several caged European robins were becoming restless and attempting to fly to the southwestern part of the cage. Fromme wondered how the birds knew which direction they were supposed to be migrating, since they were in a darkened room and could not see any landmarks, the sun or the stars.

If a mother graylag goose’s egg rolls out of its nest, the goose will instinctively roll it back with its beak. Interestingly, if the egg is removed from the goose while it is rolling it back to the nest, the goose will continue the behavior as if moving an imaginary egg. In addition, the goose will also try to retrieve other objects that are shaped like an egg, such as a golf ball, and return them to them to the next.

Prairie dogs give an alarm call when a suspected predator is nearby. When prairie dog habitats are located near trails used by humans or located in a zoo, they do not give alarm calls each time a human approaches.

When an adult vervet monkey sees an eagle, it gives a specific alarm call (a short-double-syllabled cough). They are able to distinguish among eagle species and only sound the alarm for the two species that eat vervets. Infant vervet monkeys, however, give very undiscriminating alarm calls. They sound an alarm call every time they see a bird. As they get older, their accuracy improves. Infant vervet monkeys probably learn how to give the right call by observing other group members and receiving social confirmation. For example, if the infant gives the call and there is in fact a predator, the other group members will also give the alarm call. But if the organism is not a threat, the other members of the group remain silent.