1. Biology 3401
Animal Behaviour
Introduction

2. Scientific Method Make Observation
Formulate hypothesis to explain observation
Pass
Test Hypothesis
Fail
Pass Many
Hypothesis Theory
Pass
Test Theory
Fail
Pass Many
Theory Law
Fail

3. Tinbergen's Observations on the Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum
The Scientific Method
Tinbergen's Observations on the Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum

4. Tinbergen's Observations on the Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum
The Scientific Method
Tinbergen's Observations on the Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum
1.Observation - Female flies in a circle before going to hunt?
2. Hypothesis - Female is using landmarks to find the nest.
3. Prediction - Female will return to a landmark to find the nest.
4. Test - Place an artificial landmark around the nest and move it when the female is away
5. Result - Female orients to new landmark.
6. Confirm hypothesis 

5. Tinbergen's Observations on the Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum
The Scientific Method
Tinbergen's Observations on the Bee Wolf - Philanthus triangulum
1. Question – Is the female responding to the cones or their scent.
2. Hypothesis - Female is using visual cues to find the nest.
3. Prediction - Female will return to a landmark to find the nest.
4. Test - Place an artificial landmark around the nest and include scented (pine oil) pads.
5. Move the cones and add unscented pads when the female is away but leave the scented pads at the nest
6. Result - Female orients to pine cones and not scented pads.
6. Confirm hypothesis 

6. First Representations of Animal Behaviour

7. Greek Philosophers
Aristotle
( BCE)
Perfect ‘Type’
e.g.

8. COMPARISON OF ETHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Ethology Psychology
- origins in physiology & medicine
- origins in natural history
early focus
understanding adaptive value of behaviour in the wild
early focus
understanding causation and motivation of human behaviour using animal models
- field-based
- laboratory-based
- initially more observational
- initially more empirical

9. Historical Figures
1. Charles Darwin

10. Darwin - Published Books
1835
Journal of researches (or voyage of the Beagle)
1840
The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle
Questions about the breeding of animals
The structure and distribution of coral reefs.
1845
Geological observations on South America.
Geological observations on the volcanic islands visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle.
1850
A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia,
Fossil Cirripedia
1855
On the Origin of Species
1860
The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects.
The movements and habits of climbing plants.
1865
The variation of animals and plants under domestication.
1870
The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex.
The expression of the emotions in man and animals.
1875
Insectivorous plants.
The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom.
The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species.
1880
The power of movement in plants.
The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms.
1885

11. Darwin - Published Books
1835
Journal of researches (or voyage of the Beagle)
1840
The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle
Questions about the breeding of animals
The structure and distribution of coral reefs.
1845
Geological observations on South America.
Geological observations on the volcanic islands visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle.
1850
A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia,
Fossil Cirripedia
1855
On the Origin of Species
1860
The various contrivances by which orchids are fertilised by insects.
The movements and habits of climbing plants.
1865
The variation of animals and plants under domestication.
1870
The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex.
The expression of the emotions in man and animals.
1875
Insectivorous plants.
The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom.
The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species.
1880
The power of movement in plants.
The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms.
1885

12. Historical Figures
1. Charles Darwin

13. Historical Figures
2. Douglas Spalding

14. Historical Figures
3. Lloyd Morgan

15. Historical Figures
4. Julian Huxley - Courtship habits of the great crested grebe

16. Historical Figures
5. J.B. Watson B.F.Skinner

17. Historical Figures
7. Karl von Frisch

18. Historical Figures
8. Konrad Lorenz

19. Historical Figures
9. Niko Tinbergen

20. Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology -1973
Konrad Lorenz
Karl von Frisch
Niko Tinbergen

21. Behaviour - What is it?

22. Behaviour - movement (or motor patterns)
Includes:
Movement
Vocalization
Chemical release
Colour change

23. Behaviour - series of coordinated muscular contractions
-organized into motor patterns or units

24. Tinbergen’s Four Questions (The 4 Why’s)
Why is this bird singing?
(This is actually 4 questions)
1. What causes this bird to sing (or: what are the anatomical and physiological mechanisms underlying the behaviour)?
2. How did this behaviour develop in the lifetime of the bird?
3. What is it singing for (territory, mates)?
4. How did this behaviour evolve?

25. Tinbergen’s Four Questions
A. Proximate Causes
a. What is the immediate cause of a behaviour?
- genetic bases
- neural mechanisms
- hormonal mechanisms
- environmental (external stimuli)
- precedent events

26. Tinbergen’s Four Questions
A. Proximate Causes
a. What is the immediate cause of a behaviour?
b. What is the ontogeny (or development) of a behaviour?
- changes with age
- interaction of genes with environment (over time)
- innate vs. learned components

27. Tinbergen’s Four Questions
A. Proximate Causes
a. What is the immediate cause of a behaviour?
b. What is the ontogeny (or development) of a behaviour?
B. Ultimate Causes
a. What are the functional (adaptive) reasons for a behaviour?
- contribution of a behaviour pattern to individual fitness
- how does natural selection influence a behaviour?

28. Tinbergen’s Four Questions
A. Proximate Causes
a. What is the immediate cause of a behaviour?
b. What is the ontogeny (or development) of a behaviour?
B. Ultimate Causes
a. What are the functional (adaptive) reasons for a behaviour?
b. What is the evolutionary history of a behaviour?
- expression of a behaviour in related species
- evolutionary changes in behaviour in related lineages

29. SUMMARY BEHAVIOUR PATTERN(S) Neural mechanisms
Physiological mechanisms
Individual survival & reproductive success
Genetic mechanisms
Developmental mechanisms
Gene pool of next generation

30. Genetic/Developmental
Levels of Analysis in Ethology
Proximate Causes
Ultimate Causes
Genetic/Developmental
Mechanisms
Sensory/Motor
Mechanisms
Historical
Pathways
Selective
Processes
-adaptive context ?
-effects of heredity
-development of sensory-
motor systems
gene-environment
interactions
-nervous systems for
stimulus detection
-hormone systems for
adjusting response levels
-muscles for carrying out
responses
-evolutionary
development
of a trait
Why?
How?

31. Ecology
Population Biology
Evolutionary
Biology
Genetics
Ethology
Sociobiology
Endocrinology
Neurophysiology
Physiology