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ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
Ch 51
Animal behavior involves the actions of muscles and glands, which are under the
control of the nervous system, to help an animal respond to a stimulus
Behavior is subject to natural selection:
The following questions are considered when analyzing animal behavior:
• What is the stimulus that elicits the behavior and what is the physiological
mechanism of the response? (proximate cause)
• How do animal’s experiences influence the response? (proximate cause)
• How does the behavior aid survival and reproduction? (ultimate cause)
• What is the evolutionary history of the behavior? (ultimate cause)
Proximate cause:
Ultimate cause:
Behavior can be innate:
Behavior can be learned:
I. KINDS OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
A. Fixed action patterns
• Example: male stickleback fish (they have red bellies) will attack other males
that invade their nesting territories but won’t attack females (no red bellies)
What is the stimulus?
B. Oriented movement
• Kinesis:
• Taxis:
 Migration:
o What might be the stimulus
to initiate migration?
o Depending on species of bird, it can be innate or learned
o How would they determine if it is innate or learned?
C. Behavioral rhythms
D. Animal communication:
 Chemical communication:
 Visual communication:
• Auditory
 Tactile = touch
E. Habituation
F. Imprinting
G. Associative Learning
 Classical conditioning :
 social learning:
 Insight:
 Operant conditioning:
II. Genetics of Behavior
A. Is behavior the result of genetics or is it learned?
• Genes provide the instructions for behavior
• Nongenetic factors can modify how instructions are carried out
• Some behavior is more genetic than learned and visa versa
B. The purpose of behavior is to enhance survival
• Genes for behavior have evolved by natural selection in order to
enhance survival
1. Foraging behavior
• Foraging:
• Benefit of foraging:
• Cost of foraging:
2. Mating behavior
Intrasexual selection:
intrasexual selection: