Animal Behavior Chapter 29

What is Behavior?? Behavior – observable and coordinated responses to environmental stimuli Genetic or Learned or Both??? –“Nature or Nurture” –How do you explain the behavior differences with twins?

Learned Behavior Learning = a durable change in behavior brought about by experience. –Occurs when a behavior changes with practice. Two forms of learning 1.Operant Conditioning 2.Imprinting

Operant Conditioning Def: the gradual strengthening of stimulus- response connections. Teach a dog tricks by giving a treat or praise

Imprinting Def: a learning process in early life whereby species specific patterns of behavior are established Best known with birds being imprinted on the first thing they see when they hatch  mother. –Purposes: Keeps babies near mother Also causes males to court same species later in life.

Adaptive Learning Behavior can evolve! –Changes because of environment Abiotic Biotic: usually other organism (diff. sex) Sexual Selection…

Sexual Selection: changes in females and males, often due to differential reproductive success of individuals, caused by mate choice and competition for mates. Types: –Female choice –Male competition

Female Choice Courtship Displays: rituals that serve to prepare the sexes for mating. –Male usually displays, –Female chooses the male with best display Good Genes Hypothesis Run-away Hypothesis

Good Genes Hypothesis –Females benefit by having a male with good genes Able to pass on those genes to the offspring Enabling the offspring to live longer. Female Choice

Run-away Hypothesis –Females choose mates on the basis of traits that make them attractive to females. –“Run-away” means that this causes the males to have exaggerated traits to out compete other males. –Problem: could cost male his life. Female Choice

Female Choice Ex…

Bowerbird –Female chooses male by his collection of objects, not plumage. Female Choice Ex…

Male Competition Males competing with other males to mate with a female.

Communicative Behavior 1.Chemical Communication 2.Auditory Communication 3.Visual Communication 4.Tactile Communication

Chemical Communication Works with distance, night, and day. With Pheromone – within same species Insects – captured by antennae Mammals – smell Yes, humans have pheromones

Auditory Communication Sound Faster than chemical, travels farther, effective both day and night.

Visual Communication Sight Usually used by organisms that are active during the day. Used between males as threat postures, etc. Bird plumage for courtship Bright mouths on chicks – ‘feed me’

Tactile Communication Touch Ex: –Primates groom one another –Chicks peck the mothers beak –Honeybees communicate (‘waggle dance’)

Group Living Advantages: –Avoid predators –Help rearing offspring –Gathering food Disadvantages: –Hierarchies –Illness –Share food

Altruism Behavior that involves a reduction in direct fitness that may be compensated by an increase in indirect fitness. Sentinel - the individual that watches for danger and warns the group.

Altruism Ex’s: Insects –Bees, Ants, Termites, etc.

Birds –Weavers, Crows, Canada Goose, etc. Altruism Ex’s:

Mammals: –Meerkat, Naked-Mole rat, Primates, etc.