Download Animal Behavior

Animal Behavior
Adaptive Behavioral
Responses

Stimulus –
– Internal stimuli tell an animal
what is happening in its own
body

Ex. Thirst, hunger, pain
– External stimuli give animals
information about its
surroundings

Ex. sound, sight, changes in length
of day
Internal and External
Stimuli

Interactions between
internal and external
stimuli usually trigger
specific behaviors.
– Ex. What might be some
internal and external stimuli
that cause you to wake up
in the morning?
Detection and Response to
Stimuli

Organs that are activated
in response to stimuli:
1. Endocrine System
(glands)
2. Muscular System
Function of Behavior


Homeostatic mechanism
Two types of movement-related
behaviors:
1. kinesis – random movement
2. taxis – movement in a specific
direction
Kinesis or Taxis?
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/group-ofamerican-cockroaches-disperse-scurrying-stockvideo-footage/143497781
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/reso
urce/vtl07.la.ws.style.moths/moths/
Cyclical Behaviors

Circadian Rhythm – daily cycle of activity
ex. sleep at night, active during day
- Biological clock controls patterns
Hibernation

Avoiding cold
winter
temperatures by
entering a dormant
state
– Lower body
temperature
– Reduced heartbeat
– Slowed breathing
rate
– Not eating
Migration

Periodic movement from one place to another
and then back again.
– Ex. birds, butterflies, whales
– Seasonal
Instinct vs. Learning


Instinct – inborn
(innate) behavior
– behavior that
is performed
correctly the first
time an animal
tries it
– Ex. spiders building
webs
Instinctive behavior


Mistakes can
have severe
consequences!
Important
behavior for
newborns.

Baby turtles not
racing to the
ocean.
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=w82xpBR_Z4A&edufilter
=ITEV1GgfY7rUuGxSyy0SA
Instinct vs. Learning

Animals often change
their behavior as they
gain experience ---they
learn!
Types of learning:
 Habituation – learning
to ignore a repeated
stimulus (ex. plastic
garden owls in garden)
Types of learning
continued…

Imprinting – a rapid and irreversible
learning process that only occurs during
a short time in an animal’s life
– Ex. identifying parents
Classic scientist that
demonstrated imprinting

Conrad Lorenz and his geese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqZmW7uIPW4
Types of learning
continued…

Imitation –
learning by
observing others
– Ex. babies
learning to
speak
Associative Learning

Associative Learning – An animal
learns to associate a specific action
with its consequences
– Ex. Trial and error learning
Types of Associative
Learning:
1.
Classical Conditioning – animal learns
to associate a previously neutral
stimulus with a behavior that was
once triggered by a different stimulus
Ex. Pavlov’s Dogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqumfpxuzI
Pavlov’s dog in classical
conditioning
Types of Associative
Learning continued…
2.
Operant
Conditioning –
positive or negative
reinforcement
increases or decreases
a behavior
Ex. “Skinner boxes” or
electric fence for pets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
D-RS80DVvrg
Operant Conditioning: The Skinner Box
http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=Mt4N9GSBoMI
Benefits and Costs of
Behavior
Benefits
Costs
-
Survivorship
-
Energy Costs
-
Reproduction
(fitness)
-
Opportunity Costs
-
Risk Costs
Benefits Must Outweigh
Costs


Territoriality – control of a
specific area by one or
more species
Optimal Foraging Theory
– natural selection should
favor behaviors that get
animals the most calories
for the cost
Social Behavior

Some animals live in groups that have
definite social structures.
Benefits of Social
Behavior



Improved foraging
Members can help
each other
Reduces chance of
predation
Costs of Social Behavior



Increased
visibility to
predators
Increased
competition
Increased chance
of spreading
diseases or
parasites
Social Behaviors



Communication visual, sound, touch
chemical- pheromones
Mate Selection –
Courtship behaviors
Defense – aggressive
actions for protection
Courship Behaviors in Birds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMbDjNDD4cM
Helpful Social Behaviors



Cooperation
Reciprocity –
I’ll help you if
you will help
me.
Altruism –
animal reduces
its own fitness
to help others
Eusocial behavior –
extreme altruism




Eusocial species live in large groups
Most members are nonreproductive
such as workers or soldiers
All offspring from one female (queen)
Most are haplodiploid – males are
haploid, females diploid. Sons are
from unfertilized eggs.
Eusocial Ants
Social behavior in bees
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cX2cjFunw
Animal Cognition

Cognition is the mental process of
knowing through perception or
reasoning.
-
Includes awareness and ability to judge
Solving complex problems
Perception
reasoning
Solving Problems


Insight – ability to solve problems
without repeated trial and error (ex.
Monkey and bananas)
Animals use tools (inanimate objects
to help accomplish a task), shows they
understand cause and effect
Intelligent?



Large brains
Live in complex social groups
Cultural behavior – taught to next
generation (not naturally selected)
Who’s the smartest?
 Parrots,
dogs, dolphins,
elephants, monkeys, octopus,
pigs, squirrels, whales?
Most intelligent animals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z-xSBrCG3w
http://www.animalplanet.com/videotopics/pet-entertainment/funny-petvideos/smartest-animals.htm