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Jacqueline Lau
An introduction to
Animal behaviour
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we animals are the most complicated and perfectly-designed
pieces of machinery in the known universe it is hard to see why
anyone studies anything else.
~ Richard Dawkins (1989)
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Why animals behave the way they do
Behaviour: the way an animal reacts to changes in its external
or internal environment
Ask how the behaviour is triggered, controlled, performed
Ask why the behaviour exists
All behaviours effect the animals chances of survival and
reproduction
and the survival of their own species
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Behaviours related to:
Food
Cooperation and aggression
Reproduction: courtship and parental care
Cyclic and periodic: circadian, migration
Types of animal behaviour:
Nature vs Nurture
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Innate animal behaviour
Instinctive or inborn
Result of a long evolutionary process
Fully functional first time performed
Some improvement with performance or maturation
Nest building
Suckling
Weaving a web
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Learned behaviour
Acquired by experience
Learning by association
conditioning
by chance, trial and error
habituation
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P
avlovs dogs:Pavlovian conditioning
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Learning by association
- Stimulus > response
- Lots of repetitions to build the connection
- Rapid reinforcement
- Rewards or punishments
- Link decay > un-learning
but has limits
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Habituation: also a form of learning an animal ceases to
respond to a certain stimulus (which is neither harmful or
rewarding)
Exhaustion: when an animal ceases to respond to a certain
stimulus due to muscular fatigue, sensory exhaustion or
prolonged habituation
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Communication
The transfer of information from one individual to another
- Acoustic: bird songs, crickets, cicadas
- Visual: movement, colour, light
- Chemical: excretions, odour, pheromones
- Touch: grooming, stroking
- Electrical: fish
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e.g.
moths and other insects males release chemicals that attract females
bird courtship behaviour conspicuous male plumage; ritualised courtship
dances
Frogs and toads depth and loudness of croak are an indication of the callers
size
tail length in swallows are an indication of an individuals fitness
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Deliberate transfer of misinformation
A signal does not always imply the truth E.g. shrikes let out an alarm call when a rival shrike is
after the same prey it is pursuing
E.g. mimicry in butterflies and other insects
E.g. female nightjar limps or pretends to have a broken
wing, hopping away from its nest to lure a predator away
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Communication in insects (and others)
How do insects do that?
Recognise host plants
Find mates Signal alarm
Leave and follow trails
Aggregate
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. pheromones!
- chemicals released by an organism into its environment
enabling it to communicate with other members of its own
species
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Chemoreception
By
Smell Taste
Volatiles in air
Solubles in water
The antenna is the principal olfactory organ of insects
Specialised structures of the cuticle
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Cooperation and aggression
Group and social life
Why live in a group?
Direct benefits: food, mates, defence, survival, care of
offspring
Direct costs: competition for resources, parasites, diseases,
cannibals
Social behaviour in vertebrates
Cooperation
Mutualism
Manipulation
Reciprocation
Kin selection
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Eusociality in insects
Ants and termites
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The most abundant and dominant insects have the most complex
social organisation
Competitive advantage
Division of labour
Effect of individual errors insignificant
Collective effort: teamwork!
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Courtship and reproduction
competitive males and choosy females
Choices, choices:
Indications of good genes > viable offspring
Healthy males
Size, ornaments, badges of rank
Winners, not losers
Good territory, nest presentation
Nuptial gifts
Attractive traits are seldom just for fashion!
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Migration
Many animals migrate at certain times of the year
Avoid unfavourable conditions
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- Compass sense (long distances)
- Sun compass
- Polarised light- Magnetism
- Star constellations
- Olfaction
- Pilotage (local landmarks, limited distances/radius)
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Online resources
www.naturia.per.sg/buloh
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habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/
Online resources
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www.ecologyasia.com
Online resources
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Online resources
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com
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Online resources
http://butterflycircle.blogspot.com
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Books
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The best way to study animal behaviour
In the field!
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Thank you!
Photo credits:
Cai Yixiong
Lin Yangchen
Jacqueline Lau
Marcus Ng
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Practical applications from the study of animal
behaviour
Benefits to humans and animals
Sonar abilities of bats > sonar techniques (eg. Ultrasound
scanner, shipping sonars) Classical conditioning theory > learning principles in human
medicine (nutrition and diet during treatment therapy)
Experimental research
Mimicry