1. Chapter 43 Animal Behavior

2. Ethology: scientific study of how animals behave Two types of behavior Innate behavior is developmentally fixed meaning that nearly all individuals in the population exhibit the same behavior. Learned behavior is behavior that has been modified based on specific experiences.

3. Innate behaviors Fixed action patterns – a series of unlearned acts that is essentially unchangeable and, once initiated, usually carried to completion

4. Learned behavior Habituation – a loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey no new information EX: birds will eventually ignore a scarecrow after repeated exposure.

5. Learned behavior Imprinting – actually contains both learned and innate components. The formation, at a specific stage in life, of a long-lasting behavioral response to a particular individual or object. Includes a sensitive period when certain behaviors can be learned.

6. Imprinting Example: Lorenz used the graylag goose to demonstrate imprinting. He took over the maternal role for a group of goslings

7. Not all examples of imprinting involve parent-offspring bonding – Although newly hatched salmon do not receive any parental care, they imprint on the complex mixture of odors unique to the freshwater stream where they hatch – This allows salmon to find their way back to the stream to spawn after spending a year or more at sea

8. Insight Capable of using reasoned thought and past experience to solve problems – Utilize previous experience with reasoning to conclude and learn new things Ex: Chimp moving crates in order to reach a banana.

9. Spatial learning Establishment of a memory that reflects the environment’s spatial structure Ex: A wasp locating its burrow

10. Associative learning Ability to associate one environmental feature with another. Types: Classical conditioning Operant conditioning

11. Classical Conditioning An arbitrary stimulus becomes associated with a particular outcome. Ex: These ducks have learned to associate humans with food handouts Ex: Dog seeing a leash and running to the door

12. Operant Conditioning Trial-and-error learning is a common form of associative learning An animal learns to associate one of its own behavioral acts with a positive or negative effect

13. Movement behavior Kinesis – a change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus. Ex: Sow bugs response to variations in humidity. They will move faster in a dry environment, making it more likely that they will move into a more moist environment. Taxis – an oriented movement toward (positive) or away from (negative) some stimulus. Ex: trout orienting themselves upstream to get food