1. Animal Behavior
Ecology Unit

2. What is Animal Behavior?
The study of how and why animals interact with each other (both within and among species) and their environment.
Proximate questions - how
mechanisms responsible for interactions
Ex: rooster crows because light breaks
Ultimate questions - why
how these interactions influence an individual's survival and reproduction.
Ex: rooster crows to establish territorial rights

3. Ethology
Observation/Analysis of animals as they interact in their natural environment

4. Some examples:
Intraspecific interactions
mate choice

5. Some examples:
Intraspecific interactions
male competition

6. Some examples:
Intraspecific interactions
alarm calls

7. Some examples:
Intraspecific interactions
parental care

8. Some examples:
Interspecific interactions
predation

9. Some examples:
Interspecific interactions
Symbiotic relationships

10. Some examples:
Interspecific interactions
compeitition

11. Some examples:
Interactions with the environment
foraging

12. Some examples:
Interactions with the environment
nest site selection

13. Some examples:
Interactions with the environment
signal modification

14. Why study behavior?
Possible first science: Our survival dependent on knowledge of other animals (prey/competitors/predators).
Control/management of species: agricultural pests, invasive species, endangered species.
Understanding/modification of our own behavior? Studies of how birds learn and develop songs provide unique insights into the development and neural control of speech in humans.

15. What can we learn about human behavior by observing animals?
mate choice
What can we learn about human behavior by observing animals?
male-male competiton
aggressive behavior

16. Founders of the field of Animal Behavior
Niko
Tinbergen
Konrad Lorenz
Karl
von Frisch
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1973
"for their discoveries concerning organization and elicitation of individual and social behaviour patterns"

17. Terms to Know
Innate: behavior present at birth

18. FIXED ACTION PATTERN Innate behavioral response
Common to all members of species
Once initiated, continues until completion

19. Sign Stimulus:
External change in the environment that triggers a Fixed Action Pattern

20. NATURE vs. NURTURE Aka: Genetics vs. Environment
Aka: Innate behavior vs. Learned Behavior
What is Learning?
Behavioral changes that occur due to life experience

21. special types of learning…
Habituation:
Animal learns to ignore an irrelevant stimulus
Imprinting:
irreversible (usually) learning that occurs during CRITICAL PERIOD

22. Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989) examined genetically programmed behaviors in young and imprinting.
Young geese form an image of “parent” just after hatching. If the hatchlings first encounter a human, they will imprint on him and follow him around as if he were their mother.

23. more types of learning… ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING
Stimulus leads to a response that does not normally occur as a result of that stimulus
Ivan Pavlov

25. “Little Albert” (1920)

26. OPERANT CONDITIONING
Animal learns to associate one behavior with either REWARD or PUNISHMENT!
Reward  Repeat Behavior
Punishment  Avoidance of Behavior

29. Animal Movement
TAXIS
vs.
KINESIS

30. Social Behavior Play Agonistic Displays Courtship
Batesian Mimicry (“posers”)
Mullerian Mimicry
Altruistic Displays