What is the flash pattern used by female fireflies to attract males of their species an example of?

Question

A.  a sign stimulus
B.  an innate releasing mechanism
C.  a supernormal stimulus
D.  sexual imprinting

Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?.


Gather Content:
What do you already know about animal behavior? What other information is related to the question? 


Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?


Reflection on Process:
  Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
 

Answer 1

A.  a sign stimulus

Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?.
The question is asking what type of behavior is involved in flash patterning in fireflies.

This is an apply level question. You are being presented with a situation. Using what you know about the different behavioral terminology, you can explain what is happening in this situation.


Gather Content:
What do you already know about animal behavior? What other information is related to the question? 
This question comes from the section of the textbook that covers the basics of animal behaviors. A stimulus is recognized by an individual, the innate releasing mechanism in the individual produces a specific behavior (the fixed action pattern). In this case the female firefly is looking for a mate. A male firefly sees the signal, and the signal triggers a response from the male.


Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
In this scenario, the pattern of flashes produces the behavioral response in the male. Thus the flashes from the female are the key stimulus (sign stimulus) that the male recognizes.


Reflection on Process:
  Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
Were you able to select the correct answer? You need to take what you know about animal behavior and apply it to this situation to come up with the answer. You needed to breakdown the series of behaviors and look at each part.