Animal Behavior

Animal Behavior Ethologist: a scientist who studies animal behavior in nature Is behavior inherited? Is behavior learned? Can a behavior be both? What triggers the expression of a behavior?

Much animal behavior is. . . Stereotypic: performed in the same way every time Species-specific: little variation in the way individuals of a single species do something

But it can be modified! Even spiders need to say “no” to drugs!

Evidence that a behavior is inherited Konrad Lorenz Deprivation: Ex. The crazy squirrel! Hybridization: Ex. The mallard ballet!

Types of Behavior Development 1. Natural Selection An animal that successfully completes a helpful behavior survives to pass on the behavior to offspring Those whose genes fit the conditions survive.

Types of Behavior Development 2. Innate Behavior Appears in fully functional form when first performed. Ex. Startle behavior in a baby; purpose is self-preservation Web building, nest building

Types of Behavior Development 3. Learning Development of behaviors through experience Determines final shape of innate behaviors 5 types of learning…will list these later.

Behavioral “Releasers” Releasers: stimuli, usually sensory, that elicit or bring about a behavior. Niko Tinbergen Konrad Lorenz

What triggers baby gulls to beg for food? Chicks eventually refine their behavior by ‘learning’…the learn to beg only from their parents

More evidence that learning shapes behavior Tinbergen & the female digger wasp

Imprinting – A type of learning Konrad Lorenz Learning, during a critical period, a complex set of stimuli that can later serve as a releaser

Do birds have to “learn” to sing? Young sparrows listen to adult males singing but are too young to sing themselves

Young sparrows that NEVER hear an adult sing cannot express their species’ song correctly

If a bird goes deaf after he makes a song memory but before he is mature enough to sing…he is out of luck A bird has to “learn” twice to sing correctly…once to make a memory and then to use auditory feedback to perfect the song.

Learning and modifying behavior seems to be adaptive. Then why is so much of animal behavior genetically determined?

Hormones & Behavior Why lady birds don’t sing… Why Marlin should have become Nemo’s mom…

Fruit Fly Mating—It’s All in the Genes!

Honey Bees and the Waggle Dance

Pheromones Alarm system Mark the trail Releaser pheromones Primer pheromones Aggregation pheromones

Please associate CLASSICAL CONDITIONING WITH Ivan Pavlov (Pavlov’s conditioning)

Skinner Box Please associate OPERANT CONDITIONING with B. F. Skinner

Circadian Rhythms

Defense Mechanisms 1. Aposematism

2. Crypsis

3. Deceptive Markings

4. Mullerian Mimicry Fritz

5. Batesian Mimicry “Red touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow; Red touches black, you’re okay, Jack”