Animal Behavior

What is behavioral ecology? Behavioral ecology studies how behavior is controlled and how it develops, evolves, and contributes to survival Behavior is everything an animal does and how it does it

Fixed Action Patterns An FAP is a sequence of unlearned behavioral acts that is essentially unchangeable and, once started, is usually carried to completion Triggered by a sign stimulus Example: Aggressive behavior in male stickleback fish in response to the red underside of an intruder fish

Nature vs. Nurture? In biology, it’s not an either/or scenario Genes and the environment both influence behavior Innate behavior is behavior that is developmentally fixed, regardless of the environment

Directed Movements Directed movements are controlled by genes Kinesis = a simple change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus Example: pillbugs live best in moist conditions; they move around more in dry areas and less in moist/humid areas More movement increases likelihood they will encounter a moist area Taxis = a more or less automatic, oriented movement toward or away from a stimulus Example: fish swimming against the current Migration

Animal Signals & Communication A signal is a behavior that causes a change in another animal’s behavior Communication involves the transmission of, reception of, and response to signals between animals Chemical Communication: Pheromones – particularly important in reproduction behavior Auditory Communication: Drosophila males produce a characteristic “song” by beating their wings

Environment & Genetics Environmental factors, such as the quality of the diet, the nature of social interactions, and opportunities for learning can influence the development of behaviors in every group of animals Example: Variations in diet led to rejection of mates in Drosophila

Imprinting Imprinting is a type of behavior that includes both learning and innate components and is irreversible There is a limited phase in an animal’s development which is the only time when certain behaviors can be learned Incubator-hatched goslings imprinted on scientist (Konrad Lorenz) during first few hours of life and followed him

Associative Learning Associative learning is the ability of many animals to associate one feature of the environment with another Classical Conditioning an arbitrary stimulus is associated with a reward or punishment Pavlov’s Experiment Operant Conditioning “trial-and-error learning” Mouse eating distasteful caterpillar

Cognition & Problem Solving Cognition is the ability of an animal’s nervous system to perceive, store, process, and use information gathered by sensory receptors Example: monkeys & bananas on string

Natural Selection & Behaviorism The genetic components of behavior evolve through natural selection Natural selection favors behaviors that increase survival and reproductive success Foraging behavior – Balance between benefits of nutrition and cost of finding food (predation, energy, etc.) Cost-benefit analysis Mate selection Most animals are promiscuous Monogamous Polygamous

Altruism & Inclusive Fitness Most social behaviors are selfish Altruism = when an animal behaves in a way that reduces its individual fitness but increases the fitness of the other individuals in the population Example: squirrels, worker bees Helps close relatives (children, siblings, etc.), thereby increasing the individual’s genetic representation in the next generation – “inclusive fitness”