Animal Behavior Ecology Unit

What is Animal Behavior? The study of how and why animals interact with each other (both within and among species) and their environment. Proximate questions - how mechanisms responsible for interactions Ex: rooster crows because light breaks Ultimate questions - why how these interactions influence an individual's survival and reproduction. Ex: rooster crows to establish territorial rights

Ethology Observation/Analysis of animals as they interact in their natural environment

Some examples: Intraspecific interactions mate choice

Some examples: Intraspecific interactions male competition

Some examples: Intraspecific interactions alarm calls

Some examples: Intraspecific interactions parental care

Some examples: Interspecific interactions predation

Some examples: Interspecific interactions Symbiotic relationships

Some examples: Interspecific interactions compeitition

Some examples: Interactions with the environment foraging

Some examples: Interactions with the environment nest site selection

Some examples: Interactions with the environment signal modification

Why study behavior? Possible first science: Our survival dependent on knowledge of other animals (prey/competitors/predators). Control/management of species: agricultural pests, invasive species, endangered species. Understanding/modification of our own behavior? Studies of how birds learn and develop songs provide unique insights into the development and neural control of speech in humans.

What can we learn about human behavior by observing animals? mate choice What can we learn about human behavior by observing animals? male-male competiton aggressive behavior

Founders of the field of Animal Behavior Niko Tinbergen Konrad Lorenz Karl von Frisch The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1973 "for their discoveries concerning organization and elicitation of individual and social behaviour patterns"

Terms to Know Innate: behavior present at birth

FIXED ACTION PATTERN Innate behavioral response Common to all members of species Once initiated, continues until completion

Sign Stimulus: External change in the environment that triggers a Fixed Action Pattern

NATURE vs. NURTURE Aka: Genetics vs. Environment Aka: Innate behavior vs. Learned Behavior What is Learning? Behavioral changes that occur due to life experience

special types of learning… Habituation: Animal learns to ignore an irrelevant stimulus Imprinting: irreversible (usually) learning that occurs during CRITICAL PERIOD

Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989) examined genetically programmed behaviors in young and imprinting. Young geese form an image of “parent” just after hatching. If the hatchlings first encounter a human, they will imprint on him and follow him around as if he were their mother.

more types of learning… ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Stimulus leads to a response that does not normally occur as a result of that stimulus Ivan Pavlov

“Little Albert” (1920)

OPERANT CONDITIONING Animal learns to associate one behavior with either REWARD or PUNISHMENT! Reward  Repeat Behavior Punishment  Avoidance of Behavior

Animal Movement TAXIS vs. KINESIS

Social Behavior Play Agonistic Displays Courtship Batesian Mimicry (“posers”) Mullerian Mimicry Altruistic Displays