Fixed action pattern

Unit 16 - Animal Behavior List of Terms Fixed Action Pattern (FAP): innate, highly stereotypic behavior, that must be finished even if it is utterly useless. Initiated by external stimuli called sign stimuli e.g. stickleback fish attack other males (which have a red belly) who enter their territory if the stimuli are exchanged between the same species, it?s called a releaser Migration Animals migrate in response to external stimuli e.g. changes in day length, precipitation, temperature environment also gives cues for navigation Some animals track their position relative to sun Animals monitor changes in position of sun against internal circadian clock to tell where they are Nocturnal animals use the North star, which has a fixed position Pigeons use the magnetic field of the earth