What is Behavior?

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Definition

The study of behavior encompasses all the movements and sensations by which organisms mediate their relationship with their environment -- physical, biotic and social.

• Movements and sensations

• Mediate relationship with environment

Mediate relationship with environment?

Mediate Relationship With Environment

GENETIC MAKEUP

NEURAL/ENDOCRINEMECHANISMS

DEVELOPMENT

OBSERVED BEHAVIOR

Mediate Relationship With Environment

GENETIC MAKEUP

NEURAL/ENDOCRINEMECHANISMS

DEVELOPMENT

OBSERVED BEHAVIORSOLVEPROBLEMS?

Mediate Relationship With Environment

GENETIC MAKEUP

NEURAL/ENDOCRINEMECHANISMS

DEVELOPMENT

OBSERVED BEHAVIORSOLVEPROBLEMS:

• Find Food• Avoid Predators• Shelter • Mate• Parental Care

Mediate Relationship With Environment

GENETIC MAKEUP

NEURAL/ENDOCRINEMECHANISMS

DEVELOPMENT

OBSERVED BEHAVIORSOLVEPROBLEMS:

• Find Food• Avoid Predators• Shelter • Mate• Parental Care

IF SOLVE PROBLEMS,CONSEQUENCES?

Mediate relationship with environment

GENES

BEHAVIOR SOLVE PROBLEMS

SURVIVE &REPRODUCE

GENE POOL

If she solves en route problems, she experiences a successful migration. Successful migration?

Survival and Reproductive Success

EN ROUTE PROBLEMS

• Adjust to unfamiliar habitats • Acquire food in short period of time• Contend with competitors• Avoid predators• Resolve conflicting demands • Maintain health• Gain adequate sleep• Finding the right direction • Cope with adverse weather

Mediate relationship with environment

GENES

BEHAVIOR SOLVE PROBLEMS

SURVIVE &REPRODUCE

GENE POOL

GENES

Animal BehaviorAnimal Behavior

• Nature – NurtureNature – Nurture– Innate behavior: what you are born with naturallywhat you are born with naturally– Learned behavior: what you learn from your what you learn from your

environmentenvironment

• Behavioral Ecology: Implications of Behavioral Ecology: Implications of AnisogamyAnisogamy

– Why sex?Why sex?– Why sexes?Why sexes?– Implications?Implications?

NATURE – NURTURE: CONTROVERSIAL?

Genetic Determinism: human nature Genetic Determinism: human nature

might be molded by the genes.might be molded by the genes.

Heritability, Intelligence and IQ DebateHeritability, Intelligence and IQ Debate

Genetics of ViolenceGenetics of Violence

Sexual Orientation Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation isnot a choice (?)

Innate Behaviors

• Can be performed without prior Can be performed without prior experienceexperience

• Are performed in reasonably complete Are performed in reasonably complete form the first timeform the first time– Appear even if the animal is deprived of Appear even if the animal is deprived of

opportunity to learn it opportunity to learn it – Example: Egg eviction behavior in cuckoo Example: Egg eviction behavior in cuckoo

chickschicks

The cuckoo chick, just hours after it hatches and before its eyes have opened, evicts the eggs of its foster parents from the nest.

The parents, responding to the stimulus of the cuckoo chick's wide-gaping mouth, feed the chick, unaware that it is not related to them.

Learned Behaviors

• Behaviors modified by experienceBehaviors modified by experience

• One form of learning is called One form of learning is called habituationhabituation– A decline in response to a repeated stimulusA decline in response to a repeated stimulus– Prevents wasting energy and attention on Prevents wasting energy and attention on

irrelevant stimuli irrelevant stimuli – Example: Repeated physical stimulation of Example: Repeated physical stimulation of

sea anemonessea anemones

Learned Behaviors

• A more complex form of learning is called A more complex form of learning is called trial-and-error learningtrial-and-error learning– New and appropriate responses to stimuli are New and appropriate responses to stimuli are

acquired through experienceacquired through experience– Response to naturally occurring stimuli based Response to naturally occurring stimuli based

on rewards and punishments on rewards and punishments – Often occurs during play or exploratory Often occurs during play or exploratory

behaviorbehavior

PLAY BEHAVIOR

NATURE - NURTURE

• Seemingly innate behavior can be Seemingly innate behavior can be modified by experiencemodified by experience

Example: Herring Example: Herring

gull chicks come to gull chicks come to

recognize own recognize own

parents as they parents as they

maturemature

NATURE - NURTURE

• Learning may be governed by innate Learning may be governed by innate constraintsconstraints

• ExamplesExamples– Robins learn only songs of adult robinsRobins learn only songs of adult robins– Birds Birds imprintimprint only on their “parent” during the only on their “parent” during the

sensitive periodsensitive period in their development in their development

NATURE – NURTURE: CONTROVERSIAL?

Genetic Determinism: human nature Genetic Determinism: human nature

might be molded by the genes.might be molded by the genes.

Heritability, Intelligence and IQ DebateHeritability, Intelligence and IQ Debate

Genetics of ViolenceGenetics of Violence

Sexual Orientation Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation isnot a choice (?)

NATURE - NURTURE• Stephen Pinker. ''The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature'‘.

• Tabula rasa (Latin: blank slate) refers to the epistemological thesis that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and sensory perception. Implication: all human minds are equal because they are equally blank, equally free of innate, genetically shaped, abilities and behaviors.

• Consider child-rearing: children's characters are shaped by their genes, by their peer group and by chance experiences; parents cannot mold their children's nature, nor should they wish to, any more than they can redesign that of their spouses. Those little slates are not as blank as they may seem.

• If genes do contribute substantially to the development of personal characteristics such as intelligence and personality, then many wonder if this implies that genes determine who we are. No: Misunderstanding of development.