Transcript Behavioral Biology

Behavioral Biology
Chapter 51
http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Animations/People&image=sleeping.gif&img=&tt=
• Behavior – what an animal does and
why they do it.
• Has proximate (immediate
responses) and ultimate
(evolutionary reasons) causes.
• Innate behavior – present at birth.
• Fixed action pattern (FAP) – acts
that are unchangeable and carried
to completion.
• Triggered by a stimulus.
• Optimal foraging theory – foraging
is balance between cost and reward.
• Animals expend the least amount of
energy to get the most food.
Hummingbirds must constantly eat
in order to keep up with demand.
http://www.cquest.utoronto.ca/cgi-bio150/foraging/book.cgi?from=intro*section2&book=optimal&page=models
Learning
• Modification of behavior because of
specific experiences.
• Different from maturation (change
due to development in neuromuscular
system)
• If stimulus is overused, habituation
occurs. (no response)
http://www.jolyon.co.uk/illustrations/vision/jpg_8.1_habituation.htm
• AImprinting – learning limited to
specific period in animal’s life
(sensitive period)
• Seen in songbird’s song – bird must
learn song during sensitive period or
it won’t learn it.
http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/avc/zentall/images/defaul5.jpg
• BAssociative learning – associating one
stimulus for another.
• 1Classical conditioning – one stimulus
gives reward or punishment (Pavlov’s
dogs)
• 2Operant conditioning – trial and
error learning
http://www.geocities.com/skews_me_too/img/pavlovdog.jpg
http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/Overheads/OperantCond.jpg
• CPlay – no external goal, but has
goal-directed behaviors.
• Could be for exercise or for
practice (i.e. play fighting)
http://www.milwaukeedogparks.org/images/9-28%20crop%20Talih%20%20Henley%20001.jpg
Cognition
• Ability of animal’s nervous system to
perceive, store, process, and use
information gathered by receptors.
• 1Kinesis and taxis – kinesis – change in
activity due to stimulus; taxis –
movement towards/away from
stimulus.
Sowbugs exhibit kinesis – they are more
active in dry areas, less in humid areas.
This ensures they will always be in wet areas.
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef406sow.gif
Before adding light
After adding light
The organisms exhibit positive phototaxis
and
orient towards the light.
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/T/Taxes.html
• 2Landmarks – more complex; ability
to use objects as memory tools.
• 3Cognitive maps – code of spatial
relationships among objects.
• Blue jays can remember thousands
of storage areas for food.
• Cognition
studied through
migration
(movement over
long distances)
http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Avian-migration-Swans.jpg
Social behavior
• Any interaction between 2 +
animals, usually the same species.
• 1Agnostic behavior – involves
threatening/submissive behavior –
winner earns something (mate,
food)
• Involves rituals, reconciliation
behavior.
Ritual behavior in birds
http://www.worldbook.com/features/birds/html/how_familylife.html
• 2Dominance hierarchy – pecking
order from top-ranked to
bottom.
• 3Territoriality – defends
territories for mating, feeding,
etc.
Dominance hierarchy in bears
http://alaskabeartours.com/images3/big/fight2.jpg
Mating behaviors
• 1Courtship – behavior patterns
leading to mating.
• Amount of time proportional to
parental investments (amount of
time needed to produce/raise
young)
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/cga/lowres/cgan141l.jpg
• 2Mating systems – vary in
species.
• APromiscuous – no strong
relationships.
• BMonogamous – one male/one
female.
• CPolygamous – more than one
partner; polygyny – 1 male/<1
female; polyandry – 1 female/<1
male
• DSignals – behavior that causes
change in behavior in other animal.
• 1Phermones – chemical signals
emitted from animals.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/bgr0004l.jpg
• Altruism – reduces individual
fitness but increases fitness of
recipient.
• Leads to inclusive fitness – total
effect an individual has on passing
on genes by producing offspring and
helping to raise close relatives.
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/9/9d/Monkeysgrooming.jpg
• Kin selection – form of altruism
specific to families.
• Weakens with hereditary distance.
• Reciprocal altruism – altruism
outside of family (seen rarely; i.e.
humans)