1. Animal Behavior
Chapter 35

2. The Study of Behavior
Behavior is everything an animal does and how it does it
Behavioral Ecology is the study of behavior through the lens of evolution
Mechanisms underlying behavior
Effects of behavior on survival and fitness
Proximate and Ultimate Questions
*A biological mechanism, in the case of
behavior, would include the physical actions
of the animal and the underlying physiology

3. Proximate Questions
Proximate (how) questions deal with immediate causes
Example:
How is mutual grooming behavior between male impalas initiated?
Scientists observe the impalas for precursors to grooming
Results
Ticks must be present
A male impala approaches another male and scrapes 4-8 times
If he receives a respond in kind, grooming commences

4. Ultimate Questions “Why questions”
Why would mutual grooming improve reproductive fitness?
The loss of blood due to ticks weakens the impala and ticks spread disease that may kill the animal
Impalas that carry out mutual grooming are more likely to reproduce

5. Fixed Action Patterns (FAPs)
Innate behaviors are those performed by all members of a species
FAPs are innate behaviors performed in a specific sequence – typically performed in its entirety from start to finish
Graylag goose – egg retrieval
Sign stimulus is the trigger for an FAP
These FAPs are commonly essential for fitness
Kittiwake chicks have a natural aversion to cliff edges

6. Behavior Comes from Genes and Environment
All structural and functional features are derived from a combination of genetic and environmental factors
Behavioral differences in different species of the same genus are commonly caused by differences in their environments
Monogamous voles
Oxytocin receptors
Mice raised in environments dissimilar to their typical homes have been shown to radically change parenting and mating behaviors
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7. Learning Learning is a change in behavior due to an experience
Habituation is the lack of a response to an innocuous stimulus after repeated exposure

8. Imprinting
Imprinting is an irreversible learned behavior, limited to a specific time in an animal’s life
The specific time is called the sensitive period
Konrad Lorenz gosling experiments
Is imprinting learned or innate?

9. Animal Movement Kinesis: random movement in response to stimulus
Sow bugs in dry environments
Taxis: movement toward/away from a stimulus
Trout in current
Spatial Learning: The use of landmarks to navigate
The digger wasp

10. Internal Maps
A cognitive map is an internalized representation of an animal’s habitat
Migrating species use a variety of navigational aides
Whales - shoreline
Birds - stars
Butterflies - innate

11. Stimulus Response Learning
Associative behavior is a learned response, commonly to a reward
Trial-and-error learning is an example of associative behavior
Animals come to associate a behavior with positive/negative consequence
Leopard attacks porcupine
Start at 3:00

12. Social Learning
Social learning is the development or improvement of a behavior by observation of others
Predators learn hunting tactics this way
Many animals fine-tune their alarm calls this way

13. Problem Solving
Cognition is an animals ability to accept information by their senses and to process and use that information
Many “lower” species are able to place items into categories
Apes, dolphins, and some bird species are capable of higher level problem solving
Using tools
Multi-step problems

14. Foraging
Foraging includes actions related to searching for, recognizing, and capturing food items.
Generalists eat whatever happens to be available
Specialists focus on only a few food items
“Search images” allow foraging animals to scan an area for a familiar color/shape corresponding to a particular food item
Animals are generally very efficient in their foraging
Switching between food items based on availability
Foraging in groups

15. Mating Behaviors
Mating behavior is determined by how much attention the offspring need
Mammals are typically promiscuous because the young feed on their mother’s milk
Most birds are monogamous because the young mush be fed continually

16. Courtship Rituals
A series of behaviors are often carried out in a specific sequence
Some species perform mating rituals in groups
Typically the females choose
Females have a bigger investment
Male traits driving female decisions are often correlated with health
Sociobiologists put social behaviors in evolutionary context

17. Territory
Some animals mark and defend a specific area for mating, raising young, or foraging
Other members of the species are generally excluded from the area (commonly one sex)

18. Confrontation Agonistic behavior is used to resolve disputes
Posturing is much more common than physical aggression due to risk of injury
After the ritual, one individual submits to the other
Dominance hierarchy

19. Communication
Nocturnal mammals use different modes of communication that diurnal birds
Aquatic species use chemical and auditory signals
Level of social organization shows a positive correlation to complexity of communications

20. Altruism
Altruism is the reduction of one’s fitness for the benefit of other individuals
Inclusive fitness is the propagation and protection of individuals that share genes
Reciprocal altruism, seen in dolphins and chimps, is the act of helping an unrelated member of the same species that may “return the favor” in the future

21. Experiments in Behavior
What questions can we ask
Designing testable hypotheses
Pill bugs’ behavior
Your homework
Chapter 35
Shoe box