Animal Behavior

Chapter 51

Behavior

Animal responds to stimuli Food odor Singing

Ethology

Study of patterns of animal behaviors in nature

Ethology

Proximate causation How the behavior works?? Ultimate causation What is the adaptive value to this

behavior??

Behavioral ecology

Study of the ecological & evolutionary basis for animal behavior

Study of how natural selection shapes behavior

Innate Behavior

Developmentally fixed behaviors Preset behaviors Individuals in a species respond

similarly Geese retrieving eggs

Innate behaviors

Fixed action pattern: Sequence of unlearned behavioral

acts that are unchanged Carried to completion Sign stimulus (key stimulus) Triggers the behavior

Fixed action patternStickleback fish

Innate Behavior Fixed-Action Pattern: Begging behavior of new chicks Raised heads, open mouths, loud

cheeps Sign stimulus: Parent landing at the nest.

Behavior

Taxis: Movement towards or away from stimuli Positive taxis: Towards a stimulus Negative taxis: Away from a stimulus Kineses: +/- nonspecific movement due to stimuli

Migratory behavior

Migration: Long distant change in location

Migratory behavior

Orientation: Following a bearing Navigation: Ability to adjust that bearing

Communication

Signal: Behavior causes a change in

another animals behavior Communication: Reception & response of a signal Auditory, visual,

olfactory(chemical), tactile signal

Courtship

Leads to potential mates Species-specific

Courtship

Bird of paradise

Fruit Fly courtship

Orienting Tapping “Singing”1 2 3

Honeybees

Waggle dance

Pheromones

Chemical signals Animal communicationMating behaviors.Territorial behaviors

PheromonesMinnowsbefore alarm

Minnowsafter alarm

1

2

Pheromones

Learning

Modification of behavior based on experiences

Non-associative learning: Simple No association between two stimuli Between a stimulus & response

Habituation

Loss of responsiveness to irrelevant stimuli.

Imprinting

Sensitive period (critical period) Soon after hatching Important for normal parent/child

behaviors Stimulation necessary for normal

behavior Premies Sexual behavior-mating

Imprinting (Konrad Lorenz)

Spatial learning

Memory based on environmental clues

Digger wasps

Learning

Associative learning: Association between two stimulus Stimulus & a response Behavior is modified (conditioned)

through association

Associative learning

Associative learning

Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

Classical conditioning

Pairing of two different stimuli Ivan Pavlov Dogs Food, salivate Ring bell at same time Dog learned to salivate with bell

ringing

Operant conditioning

Associate behavioral response with a reward or punishment

Trial & error B.F. Skinner “Skinner box” Rats would bump lever, food came

out Learned to hit lever to get food

Operant Conditioning

Cognitive behavior

Ability of the animal’s nervous system to perceive, store , process

Use information gathered by sensory receptors

Cognitive behavior

Chimpanzee Nuts Bugs

Vervet monkeys and alarm calls

Imprinting

CognitionSpatial learning

Associative learning Social learning

Forms oflearning and

problemsolving

Forging Behavior

Obtaining food at the least expense

Energy efficient Food vs safety Food vs mating Food vs protection

Territoriality

Defends an area Usually excludes members of own

species. Exclusive rights Food, mating

Gannet

Cheetah

Reproductive strategies

Set of behaviors evolved to give maximum reproduction

Food source Nesting sites Members of opposite sex

Mating relationships

(a) Monogamy

(b) Polygyny (c) Polyandry

Jaw fish

Sea elephant

Altruism

Benefits others at the cost of individual