{Animal Behavior

Summit Virtual Biology

Animal Behavior

• Taxis- how a living organism responds to stimuli– Phototaxis-responding to light

• Three Types:– Innate (Instincts)– Social– Learned

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instinct#/media/File:Green_turtle_swimming_in_Kona_May_2010.jpgRights Reserved under CC BY-SA 3.0

Innate Behaviors

• (instincts) are the basis of learning– Example: A kitten plays with a ball of string,

the kitten instinctively chases the ball as a predatory response. This will shape the behavior of chase.

– Suckling

Innate (Automatic) responses

• Reflex- response to a stimulus involves no conscious control– When a doctor knocks on a patient’s knee cap

to check reflexes

• Fight or flight responses – Controlled by hormones

https://pixabay.com/en/box-boxing-match-uppercut-62867/

• Migration- seasonal movement of animals– Find food, mates, area for raising young

https://pixabay.com/en/birds-high-fly-flying-migrating-216827/

• Hibernation – body temp drops– Oxygen consumption decreases– Breathing declines– Conserves energy

Circadian Rhythm- based on 24 hour cycle of day - sleep/wake

https://pixabay.com/en/winter-sleep-hibernation-bear-snow-295403/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm#/media/File:Biological_clock_human.svgRights Reserved under CC BY-SA 3.0

• Estivation – state of reduced metabolism– Occurs in animals living in intense heat– Response to lack of food or drought

Rights Reserved under CC BY-SA 2.0https://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/4952735746

What about SOCIAL BEHAVIORS?

• Aggression • Territoriality

• Mating Displays• Communication

Courtship

https://pixabay.com/en/birds-chirping-love-courtship-311856/

Courtship Behavior• Males and females

carry out before mating

• Evolved through natural selection

• Ensures that members of same species find each other and mate

Aggressive Behavior

• solve disputes over resources, territory, mates

• Most are ritualized threat displays, which are meant to size each other up, and allow the weaker to flee without serious injury.

• Bare teeth, growl, hiss

Public Domain

• Aggressive behavior leads to dominance hierarchy– Social ranking– Top gets to mate – first to eat– “pecking order”

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fulmar_petrels_determine_the_pecking_order_in_the_Moray_Firth._-_geograph.org.uk_-_220534.jpgRights reserved under CC BY-SA 2.0

Territoriality

• Territory- a physical space an animal defends– Has food, water, shelter, mates– Benefits: Reduces conflict,

controls population growth, efficient use of resources, improve chance of offspring survival

– Mark their territory with pheromones

https://pixabay.com/en/cat-laying-pet-animal-114815/

Innate & Learned (Communication)

• Exchange of information-sound, sight, touch, smell– Example: Bees– When a bee finds a rich food source, it

communicates it to the hive with the “waggle” dance

Learned Behaviors

• Produces a change in behavior due to experience

• Types:– Imprinting– Habituation– Classical Conditioning– Trial and Error– Insight

Imprinting

• Animal forms a strong attachment to another animal or an object

• occurs within a couple days of birth• allows mother to recognize and bond

with baby and visa-versa.

Habituation

Involves a decrease in response due to repeated stimuli• Allows animal to eliminate response to unimportant

stimuli (also known as sensitization)• Example: Animals get used to people being around

and don’t run away anymore.

Classical Conditioning

• Learning by Association

• Pavlov• Russian biologist that first demonstrated

classical conditioning with his dog

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Example_of_classical_conditioning.JPGRights Reserved under CC BY-SA 3.0

Trial & Error

• An animal receives a reward for making a particular response- motivation

• Motivation leads to learning

https://flic.kr/p/9282eeRights Reserved under CC BY 2.0

Insight

• Learning in which an animal uses previous experience to respond to a new situation

• May involve motivation