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Animal Behavior Ethology: study of animal behavior Behavior: what an animal does and how it does it-both genetic and environmental factors-essential for survival-subject to natural selection over time Understanding behavior-proximate cause: “how” a behavior occurs is modified-ultimate cause: “why” a behavior in context of natural selectionEx: a male stickleback fish attacks other males that invade its nesting territoryProximate cause: the red belly of the intruding male stickleback acts as a sign stimulus that releases aggression in a male stickleback.Ultimate cause: by chasing away other male sticklebacks, a male decreases the chance that eggs laid in his nesting territory will be fertilized by another male. Innate behaviors: developmentally fixed and are not learned. Fixed action patterns (FAPs): sequence of unlearned acts that are unchangeable and usually carried to completion-triggered by sign stimulus-ensures that activities essential to survival are performed correctly without practice. ex: goose and egg. Directed movements-Kinesis: simple change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus-Taxis: automatic movement, oriented movement +/- from stimulus (ex: phototaxis, chemotais) Migration-regular, long-distance change in location-environmental cues: sun, stars, earth’s magnetic field, landmarks Circadian rhythm – internal biological clock-can be to dark/light like in humans, season like in some animals, light/temperaturelike in plants Signal: stimulus that causes a change in behavior; nasis of animal communication-pheromones – chemicals emitted by members of one species that affect other members of the species ( ex: queen bee, fruit fly, fish, termites, humans)-visual signals – like warning flash of white on a mockingbird’s wing-tactile (touch) – ex: male fruit fly taps female fly-auditory – ex: screech of blue jay or song of finch-dance – ex: honeybee dance used to inform other bees about distance and direction of travel to food sources Learned behaviors: behaviors that are modified based on specific experience Types of learning:1. Habituation: loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little or no information. Simple form of learning.2. Imprinting: learning + innate componentsa. Limited to sensitive period in life, generally irreversibleb. Ex: Lorenz imprinting on geese – young geese follow and imprint on their mother. Proximate cause: during an early, critical developmental stage, the young geese observe their mother moving away from them and calling. Ultimate cause: on average, geese that follow and imprint on their mother receive more care and learn necessary skills, and thus have a greater chance of surviving then those that do not follow their mother.c. Captive breeding programs for endangered species must provide proper imprinting models3. Spatial learninga. Cognitive map: internal representation of spatial relationship among objects in an animal’s surroundings (like squirrels relocating nuts)b. Some organisms move in response to a recognized object or environmental cue, a landmark.4. Associative learning: ability to associate one stimulus with another.a. Classical conditioning: arbitrary stimulus associated with particular outcome (ex: Pavlov’s dog salivate w ringing bell)b. Operant conditioning: trial-and-error learning. Associate behavior w reward or punishment.5. Cognition: process of knowing that involves awareness, reasoning, recollection, judgment. Problem solving behavior6. Social learning: learning by observing others Foraging: food-obtaining behavior-recognize, search for, capturing, and consuming food.-minimize costs/maximize benefits Mating behavior and mate choice-sexual selection: seeking and attracting mates, choosing and competing for mates-ornaments correlate in general with health and vitality-agnostic behavior: threats, rituals, and sometimes combat; settles disputes over resources (mates) Behavior can be directed by genes-ex: certain behaviors in prairie voles are under relatively strong genetic control – ADH (vasopressin) triggers pair-bonding and aggression by male voles Altruistic social behavior-altruism = selfless behavior-reduce individual fitness but increase fitness of others in population (ex: bee societies)-inclusive fitness: total effect of producing own offspring (pass on genes) + helping close relatives-kin selection: type of natural selection; altruistic behavior enhances reproductive success of relatives--geneticist JBS Haldane: “I won’t lay down my life for one brother, but I would lay down my life for two brothers or eight cousins.”
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