Transcript Animal Behavior - Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School

Animal Behavior
In Review
Nature versus Nurture
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Behavior – action that can be observed and
described.
Genetic influence
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Lovebirds, snakes, snails and human experiments
Nervous and endocrine systems are both
responsible for the coordination of body systems
Studies support the idea that certain types of
behavior have genetic basis
Nature versus Nurture
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Environmental influences (nurture)
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Learning: durable change in behavior brought
about by experience.
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Laughing gull chicks pecking behavior
Imprinting- sensitive period
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Associative learning – change in behavior that
involves an association between two events
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Song learning with white crowned sparrows
Classical conditioning - Pavlov, 2 types of stimulus
Operant conditioning – Skinner, stimulus/response
Insight, imitation, and habituation
Adaptive mating behavior
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Sexual selection – adaptive changes to
secure a mate
Fitness – ability to produce offspring
Female choice – based on genes and
survival or investment for offspring?
Male competition –
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Cost (competition) benefit (mating) analyses
This all applies to Humans too!
Sociobiology and animal
behavior
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Living in groups has a great reproductive
benefit than cost
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Ad: Avoid predators, rear offspring, find food
Disad: access to food, shelter, sickness
Altruism
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Altruism – behavior that has potential to
decrease reproductive success of altruist to
benefit the reproductive success of another.
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Inclusive fitness – personal reproductive
success and reproductive success of relatives
Reciprocal altruism – making a minimal short
term reproductive sacrifice in order to maximize
future reproductive potential
Communication
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Action by a sender that may influence the
behavior of a receiver.
Chemical – pheromones, anytime of day
Auditory – fast, night or day, can be modified
(length, pitch…) Language
Visual – restricted to daytime
Tactile – grooming, waggle dance of bees