Animal Behavior Chapter 51

Behavior Animal responds to stimuli Food odor Singing

Ethology Study of patterns of animal behaviors in nature

Ethology Proximate causation How the behavior works?? Ultimate causation What is the adaptive value to this behavior??

Behavioral ecology Study of the ecological & evolutionary basis for animal behavior Study of how natural selection shapes behavior

Innate Behavior Developmentally fixed behaviors Preset behaviors Individuals in a species respond similarly Geese retrieving eggs

Innate behaviors Fixed action pattern: Sequence of unlearned behavioral acts that are unchanged Carried to completion Sign stimulus (key stimulus) Triggers the behavior

Fixed action pattern Stickleback fish

Innate Behavior Fixed-Action Pattern: Begging behavior of new chicks Raised heads, open mouths, loud cheeps Sign stimulus: Parent landing at the nest.

Behavior Taxis: Movement towards or away from stimuli Positive taxis: Towards a stimulus Negative taxis: Away from a stimulus Kineses: +/- nonspecific movement due to stimuli

Migratory behavior Migration: Long distant change in location

Migratory behavior Orientation: Following a bearing Navigation: Ability to adjust that bearing

Communication Signal: Behavior causes a change in another animals behavior Communication: Reception & response of a signal Auditory, visual, olfactory(chemical), tactile signal

Courtship Leads to potential mates Species-specific

Courtship

Bird of paradise

Fruit Fly courtship Orienting Tapping “Singing” 1 2 3

Honeybees Waggle dance

Pheromones Chemical signals Animal communication Mating behaviors. Territorial behaviors

Pheromones Minnows before alarm Minnows after alarm 1 2

Pheromones

Learning Modification of behavior based on experiences Non-associative learning: Simple No association between two stimuli Between a stimulus & response

Habituation Loss of responsiveness to irrelevant stimuli.

Imprinting Sensitive period (critical period) Soon after hatching Important for normal parent/child behaviors Stimulation necessary for normal behavior Premies Sexual behavior-mating

Imprinting ( Konrad Lorenz)

Spatial learning Memory based on environmental clues Digger wasps

Learning Associative learning: Association between two stimulus Stimulus & a response Behavior is modified (conditioned) through association

Associative learning

Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

Classical conditioning Pairing of two different stimuli Ivan Pavlov Dogs Food, salivate Ring bell at same time Dog learned to salivate with bell ringing

Operant conditioning Associate behavioral response with a reward or punishment Trial & error B.F. Skinner “Skinner box” Rats would bump lever, food came out Learned to hit lever to get food

Operant Conditioning

Cognitive behavior Ability of the animal’s nervous system to perceive, store, process Use information gathered by sensory receptors

Cognitive behavior Chimpanzee Nuts Bugs

Vervet monkeys and alarm calls

Imprinting Cognition Spatial learning Associative learning Social learning Forms of learning and problem solving

Forging Behavior Obtaining food at the least expense Energy efficient Food vs safety Food vs mating Food vs protection

Territoriality Defends an area Usually excludes members of own species. Exclusive rights Food, mating

Gannet

Cheetah

Reproductive strategies Set of behaviors evolved to give maximum reproduction Food source Nesting sites Members of opposite sex

Mating relationships (a) Monogamy (b) Polygyny(c) Polyandry

Jaw fish

Sea elephant

Altruism Benefits others at the cost of individual