Animal Behavior

Behavior What an animal does and how it does it Influenced by genes and environment (“nature

and nurture”)Proximate and ultimate causes

Environmental stimuli or underlying genetics/physiology

Evolutionary significance or adaptive benefit

Innate BehaviorInnate behavior

Developmentally fixed behaviors “Instincts” Example: in cliff-dwelling birds, chicks turn

away from ledges

Innate BehaviorHow do animals “find their way?”Kinesis

Change in activity in response to stimulus Example: sow bugs are more active in dry areas

and less active in moist areas Result:

Innate BehaviorHow do animals “find their way?”Kinesis

Change in activity in response to stimulus Example: sow bugs are more active in dry areas

and less active in moist areas Result: sow bugs remain in moist habitats

Innate BehaviorHow do animals “find their way?”Kinesis

Change in activity in response to stimulus Example: sow bugs are more active in dry areas

and less active in moist areas Result: sow bugs remain in moist habitats

Taxis Automatic movement toward or away from

stimulus Example: trout orient themselves facing upstream

to avoid being swept away

Learned Behavior

Learning Modification of behavior resulting from

specific experiences Example: young chimps learn to use sticks to

collect termites by watching adultsMaturation

Behavior changes because of development (brain and muscle)

Example: birds prevented from flying until maturity will fly without awkward attempts of baby birds

Learned BehaviorHabituation

Loss of responsiveness to common stimuli

Example: you no longer hear the loud fish tank at the back of the room!

Imprinting Learning that is restricted to a

certain time period Example: geese who spend

their first few hours with humans identify humans as their species

Associative Learning

Operant conditioning Animals learn through

trial and error (consequences)

Example: coyotes learn to avoid porcupines as prey

Classical conditioning Animals learn to associate a stimulus with

reward/punishment Example: Pavlov rang a bell before he fed his

dogs; they were conditioned to salivate at the sound of the bell

Social BehaviorCooperationCompetitionAgonistic

Threatening or submissive behaviors/displays, part of a “contest”

Example: one dog bares its teeth, another tucks its tail

Reconciliation Example: chimps comfort each other

after aggressive male behavior

Social BehaviorDominance hierarchies

Alpha (high-ranking) animal is assured access to food, mates

Territoriality Territories are established and defended

Mating behaviors Maximize quantity or

quality of partners Examples: courtship

Social BehaviorCommunication

Visual, auditory, chemical, tactile, electrical signals

Example: dance of the honeybees communicates direction and distance of food sources

Social BehaviorAltruism

Unselfish behavior – decreases individuals chance of survival but increases survival of others

Example: ground squirrel’s alarm call warns others, but “caller” risks being killed

Why?

Social BehaviorAltruism

Unselfish behavior – decreases individuals chance of survival but increases survival of others

Example: ground squirrel’s alarm call warns others, but “caller” risks being killed

Why? Animals can increases their genetic fitness by

helping close relatives and offspring that share their genes

Often called “kin selection” Other animals may return the favor – this

could be an adaptive benefit