Animal Behavior

Kinesis versus Taxis Movement (random) as a response Ex. fish startle when tank is bumped Directional response (toward or away from a stimulus Ex. plant grows toward light

This plant exhibits THIGMOTAXIS ( Mimosa pudica )

Behavior - any action that can be observed and described. *Response to a stimulus (stimuli) Ethology - the scientific study of animal behavior

Why do behaviors exist? 45.1 Nature vs. Nurture: Genetic Influences Studies of animal behavior often focuses on what behaviors are genetically based and what is learned (Nature vs. Nurture) How much of who you are is in your genes, and how much of it is a result of your upbringing and environment?

Does this experiment suggest that nest building is an innate behavior or a learned behavior?

Is there a genetic basis for food preference? Background: In California, there are two populations of garter snakes. Coastal snakes eat slugs Inland snakes eat aquatic organisms such as fish and frogs. Inland snakes refuse to eat slugs in a lab, hybrids of will have an intermediate acceptance of slugs. Further experiments showed that inland snakes are not sensitive to a slug’s smell. Does this support an innate or a learned cause for the behavior?

How can you determine whether a behavior is something that is innate or something that has been learned? In humans, twin studies showed that even in twins that were raised separately, there were startling similarities.

Serial Killer, Ted Bundy Is a serial killer born that way?

Some human instincts….

44.2 Nature vs Nurture: Environmental Influences Learning - change in behavior as a result of experience Imprinting - a type of learning, during key periods birds will imprint on the first thing they see.

Why would rescue workers use puppets to feed their orphaned birds?

FAP = Fixed Action Pattern A behavior that is innate, like the spinning of a web by a spider. Some patterns can improve with practice, such as bird nest building.

Associative Learning A change in behavior that involves an association between two events. (also called conditioning) 1. Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) 2. Operant Conditioning (Skinner)

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov's Dogs)

OPERANT CONDITIONING Involves "training" a behavior using a reward or punishment system. Skinner Box

The Skinner Box used to train rats

Chimpanzee vs Human Learning From an evolutionary perspective, suggest a reason why the human’s behavior is an advantage (for humans)?

Other Forms of Learning 1. Insight 2. Imitation 3. Habituation 4. Trial and Error

45.3 Adaptive Mating Behavior Sexual Selection - evolution, increases offspring success Male competition - males will compete for access to females, leads to dominance hierarchies and territoriality

Sexual Dimorphism

Human Mating Do humans display sexual dimorphism? What attributes do human females look for in a mate? What attributes do males look for in a mate? Why would they not be the same attributes?

Two Models for why some features become extreme due to sexual selection. Good Genes Hypothesis Runaway Hypothesis

45.4 Sociobiology and Animal Behavior Altruism vs Self Interest

Altruistic behavior has some benefit for the population. Direct Selection: reproductive success of an individual Indirect Selection: also called KIN SELECTION, refers to reproductive success of relatives * the pool of genes is indirectly passed to the next generation Inclusive Fitness - includes personal reproductive success and the success of your relatives. Ex. Wolf packs are family units, only the alphas breed.

Reciprocal Altruism - an animal helps another animal, but the benefit may not happen until later (can occur in family groups or among unrelated individuals) Florida Scrub Jays are one of the few cooperative breeding birds in North America. Fledgling Florida Scrub Jays remain in their parents' habitat for several years and help to rear young, watch for predators, and defend territory against neighboring Florida Scrub Jay family groups. What advantage might this have for the offspring?

For humans, what is the advantage of being helpful?

Altruism or coincidence?

44.5 Animal Communication Chemical ( pheromones ) Auditory Visual Tactile (touch) *Only humans have LANGUAGE

Chimp vs Human vs Dog - why is the dog behavior advantageous?