Animal Behavior Chapter 35

The Study of Behavior Behavior is everything an animal does and how it does it Behavioral Ecology is the study of behavior through the lens of evolution Mechanisms underlying behavior Effects of behavior on survival and fitness Proximate and Ultimate Questions *A biological mechanism, in the case of behavior, would include the physical actions of the animal and the underlying physiology

Proximate Questions Proximate (how) questions deal with immediate causes Example: How is mutual grooming behavior between male impalas initiated? Scientists observe the impalas for precursors to grooming Results Ticks must be present A male impala approaches another male and scrapes 4-8 times If he receives a respond in kind, grooming commences

Ultimate Questions “Why questions” Why would mutual grooming improve reproductive fitness? The loss of blood due to ticks weakens the impala and ticks spread disease that may kill the animal Impalas that carry out mutual grooming are more likely to reproduce

Fixed Action Patterns (FAPs) Innate behaviors are those performed by all members of a species FAPs are innate behaviors performed in a specific sequence – typically performed in its entirety from start to finish Graylag goose – egg retrieval Sign stimulus is the trigger for an FAP These FAPs are commonly essential for fitness Kittiwake chicks have a natural aversion to cliff edges

Behavior Comes from Genes and Environment All structural and functional features are derived from a combination of genetic and environmental factors Behavioral differences in different species of the same genus are commonly caused by differences in their environments Monogamous voles Oxytocin receptors Mice raised in environments dissimilar to their typical homes have been shown to radically change parenting and mating behaviors Pages 706-707

Learning Learning is a change in behavior due to an experience Habituation is the lack of a response to an innocuous stimulus after repeated exposure

Imprinting Imprinting is an irreversible learned behavior, limited to a specific time in an animal’s life The specific time is called the sensitive period Konrad Lorenz gosling experiments Is imprinting learned or innate?

Animal Movement Kinesis: random movement in response to stimulus Sow bugs in dry environments Taxis: movement toward/away from a stimulus Trout in current Spatial Learning: The use of landmarks to navigate The digger wasp

Internal Maps A cognitive map is an internalized representation of an animal’s habitat Migrating species use a variety of navigational aides Whales - shoreline Birds - stars Butterflies - innate

Stimulus Response Learning Associative behavior is a learned response, commonly to a reward Trial-and-error learning is an example of associative behavior Animals come to associate a behavior with positive/negative consequence Leopard attacks porcupine Start at 3:00

Social Learning Social learning is the development or improvement of a behavior by observation of others Predators learn hunting tactics this way Many animals fine-tune their alarm calls this way

Problem Solving Cognition is an animals ability to accept information by their senses and to process and use that information Many “lower” species are able to place items into categories Apes, dolphins, and some bird species are capable of higher- level problem solving Using tools Multi-step problems

Foraging Foraging includes actions related to searching for, recognizing, and capturing food items. Generalists eat whatever happens to be available Specialists focus on only a few food items “Search images” allow foraging animals to scan an area for a familiar color/shape corresponding to a particular food item Animals are generally very efficient in their foraging Switching between food items based on availability Foraging in groups

Mating Behaviors Mating behavior is determined by how much attention the offspring need Mammals are typically promiscuous because the young feed on their mother’s milk Most birds are monogamous because the young mush be fed continually

Courtship Rituals A series of behaviors are often carried out in a specific sequence Some species perform mating rituals in groups Typically the females choose Females have a bigger investment Male traits driving female decisions are often correlated with health Sociobiologists put social behaviors in evolutionary context

Territory Some animals mark and defend a specific area for mating, raising young, or foraging Other members of the species are generally excluded from the area (commonly one sex)

Confrontation Agonistic behavior is used to resolve disputes Posturing is much more common than physical aggression due to risk of injury After the ritual, one individual submits to the other Dominance hierarchy

Communication Nocturnal mammals use different modes of communication that diurnal birds Aquatic species use chemical and auditory signals Level of social organization shows a positive correlation to complexity of communications

Altruism Altruism is the reduction of one’s fitness for the benefit of other individuals Inclusive fitness is the propagation and protection of individuals that share genes Reciprocal altruism, seen in dolphins and chimps, is the act of helping an unrelated member of the same species that may “return the favor” in the future

Experiments in Behavior What questions can we ask Designing testable hypotheses Pill bugs’ behavior Your homework Chapter 35 Shoe box