Animal Behavior

Biology 155A. Russo-Neustadt

I. Definition: Behavior is the

observable response that an animal makes to a stimulus.

Responses can have – A genetic (innate =

instinctive) component An environmental

(learned) component Usually both (especially

for human behaviors)

II. Instinctive Behaviors (Innate):

Entirely genetically programmed Behavior is performed in its entirety the first

and all subsequent times that it is performed Requirements:

Animal must be at the correct developmental age ex. Reproductive behaviors

Animal must encounter the appropriate environmental stimulus

Animal must be in the correct motivational state ex. feeding

II. Types of Instinctive Behaviors:

Kinesis = change in rate of random movement in response to a stimulus ex. Pill (Sow) bugs in dry versus moist conditions

II. Types of Instinctive Behaviors: Taxis = directed

movement toward or away from a stimulus ex. Female

mosquitoes movement toward moisture, warmth, etc.

ex. Male gypsy moth’s movement toward chemical produced by female

Trout

II. Types of Instinctive Behaviors - continued Reflex = stereotyped

movement of a body part or the whole body

ex. Autonomic and somatic reflexes studied in lab

II. Types of Instinctive Behaviors - continued Fixed Action Pattern = a complex

behavior triggered by a simple stimulus (sign stimulus = releaser)ex. Grey lagged goose nesting behavior

II. Types of Instinctive Behaviors - continued Fixed Action Pattern

(continued) ex. Aggressive and

courtship behaviors in the Bettas studied in the lab

III. Learned Behaviors:

Behaviors change based on experience = environment

Requires a complex nervous system

Learned Behaviors

Imprinting Habituation Conditioning Trial and Error Insight (Reasoning)

III. Types of Learned Behaviors:

Imprinting is a genetically programmed form of learning in which an animal makes a strong association during a particular developmental stage called the sensitive period

–ex. Konrad Lorenz’s goslings

III. Types of Learned Behaviors Habituation is a decline in a response to

a repeated harmless stimulusex. Aplysia – Sea Slug

III. Types of Learned Behaviors

Conditioning (associative) is a type of learning usually seen in the laboratory in which an animal –Learns to respond to a new stimulus =

classical conditioning ex. Pavlov’s dogs

III. Types of Learned Behaviors - continued

Conditioning – continuedA type of learning in which an animal learns to

perform a behavior to receive a reward or avoid a punishment = operant conditioning

ex. Skinner’s rats and bar pressing for food

III. Types of Learned Behaviors - continued Trial and Error is a type of learning seen

in nature in which an animal is faced with naturally occurring rewards and punishments that lead to modifications in behaviorex. Dog reaching a food itemPotential Porcupine Predators

III. Types of Learned Behaviors - continued Insight or reasoning is a type of behavior

in which concepts are manipulated in the mind to arrive at a behavior, does not require previous experience

ex. Monkey stacking boxes to reach bananas

Trial and error learning versus

Reasoning or insight

Next time….

Feeding and Digestion