Transcript Animal Behavior - Lake Stevens High School

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
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Ch. 51.12; 40.2
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Ethology: the study of behavior
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How is this happening?
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Proximate causation-how a behavior occurs
 Genetic basis, physiologic, innate response to a stimulus
Why is this happening?
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Ultimate causation- why a behavior occurs
 Finding food, regulating temperature, courtship/mating,
communication
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What is behavior?

an action carried out by muscles under control of
the nervous system in response to a stimulus
(based on physiological systems and processes)
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everything an organism does and how it does it,
response to stimuli in the environment
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essential for survival and reproduction and subject
to natural selection
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purpose may include communication with other
organisms
examples: songbirds, courtship, scent marking,
hunting, maintain homeostasis, migration etc.
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Behavioral stimuli may be..
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Environmental
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Hormonal
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sign (color, object, another organism)
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Scent
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circadian rhythms (daily behavior cycles triggered by
light and dark)
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physiologic (internal)
ANIMAL COMMUNICATION
 signal:
stimulus from one organism to
another
 communication:
reception of signals
 may
be visual, chemical, tactile, auditory,
pheremones
 communication/behaviors
are closely
related to an organisms lifestyle and
environment (will determine the type of
communication used)
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Innate behaviors
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all individuals in a population exhibit the same behavior despite
environment/lifestyle differences
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automatic, fixed, “built in” response
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triggered by a stimulus
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example: migration, hibernation
Learned behaviors
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modification of a behavior based on experiences
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triggered by a stimulus but variable
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social learning- learning through observing others
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associative learning-associate one environmental feature with another
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classical conditioning (stimulus associated with outcome—positive/negative
reinforcement)
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operant conditioning (trial and error learning)

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Pavlov’s dogs
Push lever to get food (mice)
example: tool usage, hunting techniques
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Homeostasis-maintaining internal balance
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organisms behavior will change in an effort
to maintain balance either internally or with
the environment
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negative feedback: reduces the stimulus
(returning to a normal state)

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temperature regulation, insulin/glucose
balance in blood
positive feedback: amplifies the stimulus
(takes farther from normal state)
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labor/birth
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carbon emissions and global warming

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Taxis: change in direction, move away from
(negative) or toward (positive) a stimulus
(directional)
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Chemotaxis (chemical)
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Phototaxis (light)
Kinesis: change in rate of movement in response to a
stimulus (non-directional)
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Like stimulus (move slowly)
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Dislike stimulus—agitated (move quickly)
Social Behaviors: interactions between individuals
(evolutionary adaptations)

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language, dominance, altruism, cooperation, imprinting
Habituation: loss of response to stimulus
VIDEOS
Birds of Paradise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7QZnwK
qopo
 Honey Bees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nga4Z_HR
UsU
 Sage Grouse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0M8pZnN
lnI
 Monkeys and tool usage (life series)
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