Animal behavior Brainpop-Behavior

Behavior A behavior is anything an organism does in response to a stimulus in its environment. Brainpop- Behavior

Behavior A stimulus is any kind of signal (chemical or physical) that can be detected by an organism; a response is the organism’s reaction to the stimulus. Ex . Lowered blood sugar causes a release in insulin which triggers a feeling of hunger.

Fill It In … Give any example of a stimulus and a response:

Behavior Behaviors have evolved as a result of natural selection. A behavior that is beneficial to an organism has adaptive value - it allows the organism to survive and reproduce better than those organisms that do NOT display this behavior

Behavior These behaviors may be directed by genes (DNA) and can therefore be inherited by organisms from their parents.

Behavior Most behaviors occur as a result of inherited genes AND environmental influences

Fill It In … Don’t forget! Behaviors occurring as a result of genes and the environment illustrate the concept of ___________ vs. ______________

Two Main Types of Behavior Innate behaviors are inborn (genetically programmed), so the organism is born already “knowing” the behavior.

Two Main Types of Behavior Learned behaviors are aquired during an organism’s life and may change with practice and experience.

Check Yourself! What is a behavior? What are the two main types of behaviors? What is adaptive value? Circle the stimulus and put a square around the response: The skin itches and the dog scratches. Chimpanzees bare their teeth at the approach of a baboon.

Check Yourself! What is a behavior? ANYTHING AN ORGANISM DOES IN RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS What are the two main types of behaviors? What is adaptive value? Circle the stimulus and put a square around the response: The skin itches and the dog scratches. Chimpanzees bare their teeth at the approach of a baboon.

Check Yourself! What is a behavior? ANYTHING AN ORGANISM DOES IN RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS What are the two main types of behaviors? INNATE & LEARNED What is adaptive value? Circle the stimulus and put a square around the response: The skin itches and the dog scratches. Chimpanzees bare their teeth at the approach of a baboon.

Check Yourself! What is a behavior? ANYTHING AN ORGANISM DOES IN RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS What are the two main types of behaviors? INNATE & LEARNED What is adaptive value? ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO SURVIVE & REPRODUCE BETTER Circle the stimulus and put a square around the response: The skin itches and the dog scratches. Chimpanzees bare their teeth at the approach of a baboon.

Check Yourself! What is a behavior? ANYTHING AN ORGANISM DOES IN RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS What are the two main types of behaviors? INNATE & LEARNED What is adaptive value? ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO SURVIVE & REPRODUCE BETTER Circle the stimulus and put a square around the response: The skin itches and the dog scratches. Chimpanzees bare their teeth at the approach of a baboon.

Check Yourself! What is a behavior? ANYTHING AN ORGANISM DOES IN RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS What are the two main types of behaviors? INNATE & LEARNED What is adaptive value? ALLOWS ORGANISMS TO SURVIVE & REPRODUCE BETTER Circle the stimulus and put a square around the response: The skin itches and the dog scratches. Chimpanzees bare their teeth at the approach of a baboon.

Innate behaviors Simple innate behaviors: Automatic - quick, unconscious reactions Ex. Reflexes such as blinking

Innate behaviors Simple innate behaviors: Fight-or-Flight response - the body prepares for action in response to stress or fear Ex. Increased heart rate and respiration rate when in a car accident

Innate behaviors More complex innate behaviors (and urges) are often referred to as INSTINCTS. Simple instincts include “suckling”, allowing animals to be able to feed right after birth. Other instincts are more complex; these behaviors may be classified as one of the following:

Innate behaviors Courtship behavior - pre-mating behavior designed to help an organism recognize and pick the “best” mate Ex. Fireflies flash lights The Mating Dance

Innate behaviors Territoriality - defending physical space against other animals; reduces competition for scarce resources Ex. A cat scent-marks its territory to warn others

Innate behaviors Aggression - a threatening behavior that one animal uses to gain control over another Ex. Lions show their fangs and snap at other lions

Innate behaviors Dominance Hierarchy - a social ranking within a group that establishes dominant and submissive members Ex. A puppy rolls over and exposes its belly to adult dogs

Innate behaviors Orientation behaviors Animals display TAXIS behaviors Movement toward or away from a stimulus Phototaxis - movement in response to light Ex. Moths are attacted to light (positive)

Innate behaviors Chemotaxis - movement in response to chemicals Ex. Insects are attracted to chemical signals from other insects (positive)

Fill It In … Innate behavior summary: Simple a. b. Instincts c. d. e.

Innate behaviors Behavioral Cycles (Biological “Clock”) Many animals respond to periodic changes in the environment with daily or seasonal cycles of behavior; these cycles allow for survival during periods when food or other resources may not be available.

Innate behaviors Circadian rhythms are daily cycles of behavior Ex. Sleeping and waking Based on 24-hours z z z z

Innate behaviors Seasonal rhythms occur at certain times of the year Migration - movement from one place to another and then back again in response to environmental stimuli

Innate behaviors Hibernation - a decrease in metabolism in response to colder temperatures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpY4frpheWw

Innate behaviors Estivation - a decrease in metabolism in response to warmer temperatures

Fill It In … Give 4 examples of “biological clocks”: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Make a chart of Innate behaviors! Behavior (INSTINCT) DESCRIBE an example (different from notes!) Courtship Territoriality Aggression Dominance Hierarchy Orientation / Taxis Circadian Rhythm Migration Hibernation Estivation

Learned behaviors Learned behaviors are present mostly in animals with a more highly developed nervous system. Learning requires motivation - an internal need that causes an animal to act (i.e. hunger)

Types of learning: Habituation - occurs when an animal is repeatedly given a stimulus with no punishment or reward; eventually the animal stops responding Ex. You are able to sleep through the night even though you live close to the train tracks.

Types of learning: Classical conditioning - occurs when an animal makes a connection between a stimulus and some kind of reward or punishment; also called “learning by association” Ex. Pavlov’s dogs

Types of learning: Pavlov showed the dogs food. The dogs salivated. Pavlov started to ring a bell every time he fed the dogs. Eventually, the dogs would salivate whenever they heard the bell - even when food was not present. Brainpop- Conditioning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7jcI8fAuI

Types of learning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OynlzqtxmY Operant conditioning - occurs when an animal learns to behave a certain way through repeated practice, in order to receive a reward or avoid punishment; also called “trial-and-error” Ex. A mouse learns how to get through a maze in order to get the food at the end

Types of learning: Insight learning/Reasoning - the most complicated form of learning that occurs when an animal applies something it has already learned to a new situation. Ex. A pianist is able to play a new piece of music by “ear”

Fill It In … Types of learned behaviors: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Check Yourself! What is motivation? What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning? Who was Ivan Pavlov?

Combining Innate and Learned Behaviors - most behaviors result from a combination of innate and learned behaviors.

Social behaviors Social behaviors - often combine learned and innate behaviors Whenever animals interact with members of their own species, they are exhibiting social behaviors.

Social behaviors Some animals may form societies - a group of related animals of the same species that interact closely and often cooperate with one another. Membership in a society may offer great survival advantages. Ex. Zebras heard when grazing to confuse predators.

Social behaviors Social behaviors include courtship, territoriality, dominance hierarchy, and communication.

Social behaviors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OynlzqtxmY Imprinting involves very young animals recognizing and following the first moving object they see - the urge to follow is innate but must learn from experience what object to follow Ex. Ducklings imprint on their mother

Social behaviors Communication involves the passing of information from one organism to another. Innate forms of communication may involve sound (a whale’s song), sight (baring teeth), touch (chimp grooming), or chemicals (insects release pheromones)

courtship- birds Social behaviors The most complex form of communication is language - the use of symbols to represent ideas; requires a complex nervous system, memory, and insight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEh-zclVo44

Fill It In … Phermones are … Example:

Fill It In … Examples of social behaviors (indicate if innate or learned): 1. 2. 3. 4.

Check Yourself! What is a society? Name an animal that is likely to imprint on the first moving object it sees. How are pheromones a means of communication? What is the most complex form of communication?