Download Chapter 54 Animal Behavior

Chapter 54
Animal Behavior
“Behavioral Ecology”
54.1 Approaches to the Study of
Behavior
Behavior- How an animal responds to stimuli in its environment
A. Behavior’s two components
1. Proximate Causation2. Ultimate CausationB. Innate Behavior- does not have to be learned
1. Sign Stimulus- The physical “trigger” or cause.
2. Fixed Action Pattern- A set (uncontrollable) reaction.
Proximate causation

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The direct cause of a behavior
Training,
learning
Hormones
Ultimate causation

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
(distal)
Explanation of an animal's behavior
based on evolution.
specific behavioral trait was favored by
evolutionary mechanisms such as
natural selection
Innate behavior


Does not have to be learned
“instinct”
Sign Stimulus

The physical “trigger” or cause
Ex. sea gull chick pecks at red spot on mother
Fixed Action Pattern- FAP

A sequence of actions that is unchangeable
and carried to completion once initiated
Usually started by a sign sequence

Ex. Shaking display by great crested

grebes:
FAP – Digger wasps

1)
FAP - 3 spined stickle back fish
Will attack anything w/red underbelly
no aggression Attack
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Human FAP

Raise brow and eye lids at same time
54.2 Behavioral Genetics
A. Rats can be artificially selected for intelligence.
B. Identical twin studies reveal similarities that are not dependent
on environment.
C. Some behaviors are controlled by a single gene.
54.3 Learning- Altering behavior as a
result of previous experience.
Modification of behavior based on
experience
Ex. Monkeys learn warning signals
Maturation is NOT learning

When birds mature, they fly, with out
parent
Nonassociative Learning
Does not require an association between
stimulus and response.
Habituation

A decrease in response to a repeated
stimulus
Why drug addicts need MORE
Associative Learning-
Does form a link between stimulus and
response.
Classical conditioningPavlovian Conditioning- 2 different kinds of stimuli cause the
animal to form an association.
Pavlov’s dog – conditioned to drool when bell rang
B. Operant conditioningAn animal learns through reward or punishment
Trial and error
Invisible fence

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What type?
Operant
What type

Pavlovian – clicker means treat
Sexual imprinting
an individual learns to direct its sexual behaviors toward
members of its own species.
Cross fostering
individuals that are raised by a different species want to mate
with members of the foster species.
54.4 The Development of
Behavior
 Imprinting- When parent-offspring interactions influence
behavior later in life.
Ex. Konrad Lorenz and his goslings
Ex. Wrong imprinting
Ex. Harlow’s rhesus monkeys
Imprinting- When parent-offspring interactions
influence behavior later in life.
Ex. Konrad Lorenz and his goslings
Goslings took him to be mother
Ex. Wrong imprinting

Who’s your mother??
imprinting
Ex. Harlow’s rhesus monkeys
Cognitive Behavior

Requires thought or brain process
Play

Practices survival skills
Problem solving

Migration

Navigation

Monarch butterflies know how to get
home
Orientation

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Knowing where you are
Salmon know which
steam to enter to get to
where they were born
Social behaviors
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Cooperative prey captures
African wild dogs
Dominance and Hierarchy

Top dog (wolf)
Territory behavior
54.5 Animal Cognition
Cognitive behavior – shows the ability to
think, problem solve.
Ex. Birds
Ex. Chimps

54.6 Orientation and Migration
 Orientation- tracking stimuli in the environment. (Ex. Traveling

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from the nest to a water source and then back)
Migration- long-range, two-way movements that are usually
seasonal. (follow a bearing)
Navigation- The ability to set or adjust a bearing. (Painted
Bunting)
54.7 Animal Communication
 Species recognition and reproductive success- courtship


signals. (Blue footed boobies)
Long-distance communication
• Pheromones- chemical signals that communicate with
animals of the same species and different species.
• Low Frequency Sounds- cover long distances
54.7
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Communication allows individuals to live
as groups.
Ex. Honey bee dance
Ex. Alarm calling
Ex. Primate language
54.8 Behavioral ecology
Adaptive significance

An organism has a trait that helps them
survive
Optimal foraging theory

organisms forage in such a way as to
maximize their energy intake per unit
time
Territoriality

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Animal claims its territory
Not species specific
Sexual Selection

Species specific
Intrasexual selection

Competition between same sex for mate
Intersexual selection

Competition to be the most desirable
mate as judged by opposite sex
Extra pair copulations


When a monogamous paired animal
mates with another
(In humans this is adultery or cheating)
54.10 Altruisms

Helping another without benefit or with
danger to self
Reciprocal altruisms
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Most animal altruisms are reciprocal, not
true altruisms (soldier falls on grenade)
You help me, I will help you
Kin selection

When members of a population help
others survive
Social insects
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Work together for common good
Termites
Honey bees
54.11 Evolution of Social
systems
Insect societies have castes

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Ex. Queen bee
Produced by royal jelly
Honey bees

Drones (male bees) mostly useless, but
a few get to mate with queen and pass
on genes
Leaf cutter ants
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Build huge mounds, ants have different
jobs
Vertebrate Societies
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Meerkats
some guard while others eat
Lions
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Males defend
Females hunt
African Weaver birds - forest
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Camouflaged nests
Polygamous
Insect eaters
African Weaver birds - savanna
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Nests in Trees
Polygamous
Seed eaters