1. What is Behavior?

2. Behavior is everything an
animal does and how it
does it.

3. Ethology is the scientific study of how animals behave.
The foundations of behavioral ecology were established by:
von Frisch
Lorenz
Tinbergen

4. Behavioral ecologists distinguish between proximate and ultimate causes of behavior.
Proximate – focuses on environmental stimuli that trigger behavior; the “how” questions.
Ultimate – addresses the evolutionary significance of a behavior; the “why” questions (Why did natural selection favor this behavior?)

5. Classic Demonstration of Innate Behavior

6. Fixed Action Pattern (FAP):
A sequence of unlearned
behavioral acts that is essen-
tially unchangeable and, once
initiated usually carried to
completion. This is triggered
by an external sensory stimu-
lus known as a sign stimulus.

7. Niko Tinbergen’s
Research

8. Geese Imprinting

9. Imprinting – a type of behavior
that includes both learning
and innate components and
is generally irreversible.
has a sensitive period

10. Imprinting: Konrad Lorenz with imprinted geese

11. Conservation biologists have taken advantage of imprinting
In programs to save the whooping crane from extinction
Figure 51.6

12. Many behaviors have a strong
genetic component.

13. Kinesis
Taxis

14. Taxis – a more or less automatic
oriented movement toward or
away from a stimulus
Ex: phototaxis in insects
towards or away from light
Ex: trout facing the current
Kinesis – an increase or decrease
in activity when stimulus intensity
increases Ex: more movement
by insects in moist soils

15. Migration
Many features of migratory behavior in birds have been found to be genetically programmed
Figure 51.8

16. Environmental Cues: sun, stars, earth’s magnetic field, landmarks
Many features of migratory behavior in birds have been found to be genetically programmed
Environmental Cues: sun, stars, earth’s magnetic field, landmarks
Figure 51.8

17. Signals and Communication
Nocturnal animals use auditory and chemical signals
Diurnal animals use visual and auditory signals

18. Courtship behavior of fruit flies
Signal: stimulus that causes a change in behavior; basis of animal communication
Pheromones – chemicals emitted by members of one species that affect other members of the species (eg. Queen bee, fruit fly, fish, termites, trees, humans)
Visual signals – eg. Warning flash of white of a mockingbird's wing
Tactile (touch) – eg. Male fruit fly taps female fly
Auditory signals – screech of blue jay or song of warbler
Courtship behavior of fruit flies

19. Staking Out Territory With Chemical Markers

20. Honeybee Dance Language (von Frisch)
Used to inform other bees about distance and direction of travel to food sources

21. Circadian Rhythm: internal biological clock
The circadian clock in the hamster brain signals a change in coat color according to season by releasing the hormone melatonin.
The Suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) region is located in the hypothalamus of the brain. The SCN sends signals throughout the body in response to dark and light.
Plants can have two internal clocks: one sensitive to light and the other sensitive to temperature
More on Clock Genes:

22. Genetic Influences on Mating
Seen with prairie voles
Male prairie voles help to care for the young which is unusual since few mammals are monogamous

23. Environment, along with
genetic makeup, influences
the development of behaviors
Ex: The diet of the larvae of Drosophila influences mate choice later in life

24. Proportion of matings by Sonoran females
Figure 51.12
EXPERIMENT
RESULTS
The difference in mate selection shown by females that developed on different diets indicates that mate choice by females of Sonoran populations of D. mojavensis is strongly influenced by the dietary environment in which larvae develop.
100 75 50 25
Artificial
Organ pipe cactus
Agria cactus
Culture medium
Baja males
Sonoran males
(b)
Proportion of matings by Sonoran females
(a)

25. Learning
What is the difference between instinctive behavior and learned behavior?

26. Habituation
Loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little information
ex: you continually drive over the speed limit on the freeway and never get a ticket; therefore there is no reason to change your driving habits.

27. Spatial Learning
Cognitive Map: internal representation of spatial relationship among objects in an animal’s surroundings
Birds use spatial maps to relocate nut caches

28. Tinbergen’s experiments on the digger wasp’s nest-locating behavior – the wasps use landmarks to keep track of their nests

29. Other ways in which behavior is influenced: Classical Conditioning
Associative Learning
Classical Conditioning

31. Operant Conditioning (Trial and Error Learning)

32. Two Kinds of Bird-Song Development: The Songs of Most Bird Species Are at Least Partly Learned

33. Cognitive Ethology – young chimps learning to crack oil palm nuts

34. “Fishing” by a Chimpanzee

35. Female warblers prefer males with large song repertoires

36. Behavioral traits can
evolve by natural selection.

37. Feeding by Young Bluegill Sunfish Supporting Optimal Foraging Theory

38. Mating Behavior
Promiscuous
Monogamous
Polygamous
Polyandrous – single female with several males
Polygynous – single male with several females

39. In monogamous relationships One male mates with one female
Figure 51.25a
(a) Since monogamous species, such as these trumpeter swans, are often monomorphic, males and females are difficult to distinguish using external characteristics only.

40. Red – Handed Tamarin Tamarins -the only non-human
primates that exhibit polyandry.

43. Sexual Selection – a form
of natural selection in which
differences in reproductive
success among individuals
are a consequence of
differences in mating success;
proposed by Charles Darwin

46. Phaloropes

47. Peahen Peacock
Female Cardinal Male Cardinal

49. Golden Silk
Spiders
in Costa
Rica

50. Territoriality: Mountain Goats and Stallions

51. Agonistic Behavior
Contest that involves threatening and submissive behavior to gain access to a resource (food or mate)
What is the evolutionary importance of agonistic behavior?

52. Agnostic Behavior

53. Ritual Wrestling by Rattlesnakes

54. Inclusive Fitness
What is altruism?

55. Social Behavior and Social Systems Are Shaped by Natural Selection
Altruistic acts— behaviors that reduce the performer’s fitness, but increase fitness of the individual being helped.
An animal’s offspring contribute to its individual fitness.
Inclusive fitness is individual reproductive success plus that derived from relative’s success.

56. Altruistic Social Behavior
Altruism = selfless behavior
Reduce individual fitness but increase fitness of others in population
i.e. bee societies; naked mole rats
Inclusive fitness: total effect of producing own offspring (pass on genes) + helping close relatives
Kin selection: type of natural selection; altruistic behavior enhances reproductive success of relatives

57. Leads to kin selection and coefficient of relatedness

58. Kin Selection is selection for behaviors that increase a relative’s success, at a cost to the performer.
Scrub jays demonstrate helping at the nest.
Helpers are young, prior offspring of the mating pair
Mating pairs with helpers have increased reproductive success

59. Kin Selection and Altruism in the Belding Ground Squirrel-Females stay closer to the burrows

60. Altruistic Behavior in the Belding Ground Squirrel

61. Vervet Monkeys Learn Correct Use of Alarm Calls