VCE Biology: Unit 2

Chapter 11: Behaviours for Survival

Behavioural adaptations are actions, in response to a

stimulus or genetic programming. They are things organisms do to survive. Bird calls and migration, grooming

and fighting, feeding and sleeping are all examples of

behavioural adaptations.

INNATE BEHAVIORS: Rhythmic behaviours. Sleeping, eating, seasonal migration

LEARNED BEHAVIOURS: Conditioning-respond to stimulus that normally does not elicit response

Communication behaviours Operant conditioning- animal relates behaviour with reward or punishment and repeats or avoids behaviour

*Reproductive behaviours Habituation- cease to respond to stimuli

*Competitive behaviours Imprinting- association with an object after exposure to it very early in life

*Dominance hierarchies Observational-learns from observing action of others

*Territoriality

(*Social interactions )

Breast feeding is an example of innate behaviour in mammals – it is instinctive and necessary for survival of the newborn.

When a behaviour is essentially the same in all members of the species, the behaviour is innate; It is genetically controlled. For example: A baby sucking on it’s mother’s breast, sleeping and eating are innate behaviours.

Feeding behaviours are usually innate.

Web-building is an innate behaviour – many innate behaviours in spiders involve the use of silk – dispersal, feeding and reproduction.

Seasonal migration is an example of innate behaviour, often in response to changes in seasonal environmental conditions – temperature, day length or availability of food.

Communication behaviours are innate, social interactions that increase the chance of survival by reducing predation (warning signals), increase feeding or breeding opportunities or maintain heirarchies.

These sand-pipers are displaying territorial behaviour – with territory comes food and sometimes access to females.

Territorial behaviours – swamp harriers

Dominance heirarchies – in a wolf pack the dominant male will usually have access to more

food and females.

Grooming behaviour is a social interaction that can reinforce dominance heirarchies

Competitive behaviours – usually between males for territory, food and access to females.

Reproductive behaviours increase opportunities for mating and therefore increase the probability of more offspring being

produced. If they are genetically determined, the offspring will also display these behaviours and the characteristics will increase in the

population.

Reproductive behaviours are innate, socialInteractions that increase the chances of offspring.

Learned behaviours are those that develop or change as a result of experience. These behaviours

take place because we are shown how to do something or we watch someone do that activity.

For example swimming or reading.

Operant conditioning is a form of trial and error learning – certain behaviours result in a reward and are then repeated, other behaviours may be avoided if an unpleasant stimulus results.

Habituation is a type of learned behaviour in which the response to a repeated stimulus gradually decreases. The organism ‘gets used to’ the repeated stimulus – for example, noise on a busy road, scarecrows and living near an airport.

Imprinting is a form of rapid and irreversible learning that occurs during the early stages of an animal’s life. For example, newly hatched ducks and geese follow the first moving object they see.

Observational behaviour is when an animal learns from observing the actions of others.

Do you think stalking and hunting behaviours are innate or learned?

Child reading - http://www.flickr.com/photos/26204872@N08/2929033473Lion stalking - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cub_Stalks_Tail.jpgKoala sleeping - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sa-sleeping-koala.JPGBreastfeeding - http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/may/06/medicalresearch.healthElephant seals fighting – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Males_Mirounga_angustirostris_fighting_edit.jpg