Transcript Animal Behavior - Phillips Scientific Methods

Animal Behavior
Animal Behavior
 Behavior:
anything an animal does in
response to a stimulus in its
environment
Ethology
• Study of how animals behave
• 4 main questions
1. What stimulus elicits a behavior and what
physiological mechanisms mediate a response?
2. How does the animals experiences during
development influence the response
3. How does the behavior aid survival and reproduction
4. What is the behaviors evolutionary basis.
Instincts
• Innate behavior – “fixed”
(inherited)
behaviors that all the
animals in a population
are born with (associated
with instinct)
Movement
• Kinesis – change in activity due to a stimulus
• Taxis – orientation towards or away from a
stimulus
Migration
• Migration – a long distance change of locations
done at regular intervals
• Usually stimulated by seasonal changes
• Use the sun, north star, or the earth magnetic
field
Rhythms
• Circadian rhythms – daily cycles (rest, eating,
etc), usually regulated by light and dark
• Circannual rhythms – yearly cycles usually
linked to seasons.
• Cortisol, released by the adrenal gland
Territoriality
- defense of a
physical space,
territory
Songs, calls,
intimidation,
marking
territory,
attack,
chase
bashing-bison.
Fight or Flight
• The decision to fight or run is measured by risk
and reward (benefits should out weight costs)
Signaling
• Usually, visually, chemical, or auditory
Learning
• Nature vs nurture- Genetic inheritance vs
Environmental Influences
Imprinting
• Imprinting – a life long reaction or bond to an
object or individual created at a young age
• Usually a baby raised by a different species
mistakenly believes he is of that species
Learning
• Habituation – a reduction or loss of reaction to a
stimuli (crying wolf)
Classical conditioning
• Classical conditioning – a stimulus elicits a
response
• Povlov’s dog – ringing a dinner bell before
dinner causes the dog to salivate without food
being present
Pavlov’s
dogs
Operant Conditioning
• Operant conditioning – an animal connects his
behavior with a good or bad response (trial and
error)
• Rewarding dog with a treat
Cognition
• Cognition – the ability to think, reason and
process information.
• Cognition can be used to problem solve
Selection and Survival
• Most behaviors are ultimately formed by natural
selection for survival and reproduction
Mating Systems
• Promiscuous – no mating bonds
• Monogamous – strong bond forms one male
one female for a long period
• Polygamous – one sex mates with others
Antagonistic behavior
• Competition to gain access to a resource.
Altruism
• Altruism- animals reduces their individual
fitness to increase the population fitness
• Insect societies- reproduction limited to only
one pair, the queen and her mate. Workers –
take care of female and larvae; gather food
Social Learning
• Social learning – an individual learns by
copying the behavior of a more experienced
individual.
• This breeds culture.
• Increases fitness
Mate choice copying
• Mate choice copying – females choose mates
that other females find attractive
THE END!!!
• Time to show off what you have learned 
Good luck!!