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Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology

Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology. What is behavior? what an animal does & how it does it What is ethology? the study of behavior What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? Proximate – mechanistic – what in the immediate environment led to the observed behavior?

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Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology

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  1. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • what an animal does & how it does it • What is ethology? • the study of behavior • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Proximate – mechanistic – what in the immediate environment led • to the observed behavior? • Ultimate – why did natural selection favor this behavior? • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • - Niko Tinbergen – 3-spined stickleback

  2. (a) A male three-spined stickleback fish shows its red underside. (b) The realistic model at the top, without a red underside, produces no aggressive response in a male three-spined stickleback fish. Theother models, with red undersides, produce strong responses. Figure 51.3 Sign stimuli in a classic fixed action pattern Fixed action pattern – sequence of behavioral acts that is unchangeable & usually carried to completion once started – triggered by a sign stimulus

  3. BEHAVIOR: A male stickleback fish attacks other male sticklebacks that invade its nesting territory. PROXIMATE CAUSE: The red belly of the intruding male acts as a sign stimulus that releases aggression in a male stickleback. ULTIMATE CAUSE: By chasing away other male sticklebacks, a male decreasesthe chance that eggs laid in his nesting territory will be fertilized by another male. Figure 51.4 Proximate and ultimate perspectives on aggressive behavior by male sticklebacks

  4. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • what an animal does & how it does it • What is ethology? • the study of behavior • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Proximate – mechanistic – what in the immediate environment led • to the observed behavior? • Ultimate – why did natural selection favor this behavior? • Related question – what’s more important, nature or nurture? • Both are equally important!! • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • Niko Tinbergen • 3-spined stickleback - FAP • Digger wasps – visual cues for learning • Learning – modification of behavior based on experience

  5. A female digger wasp excavates and cares for four or five separate underground nests, flying to each nest daily with food for the single larva in the nest. To test his hypothesis that the wasp uses visual landmarks to locate the nests, Niko Tinbergen marked one nest with a ring of pinecones. EXPERIMENT Nest When the wasp returned, she flew to the center of the pinecone circle instead of to the nearby nest. Repeating the experiment with many wasps, Tinbergen obtained the same results. RESULTS The experiment supported the hypothesis that digger wasps use landmarks to keep track of their nests. CONCLUSION No Nest Nest Figure 51.14 Does a digger wasp use landmarks to find her nest? After the mother visited the nest and flew away, Tinbergen moved the pinecones a few feet to one side of the nest.

  6. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • what an animal does & how it does it • What is ethology? • the study of behavior • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Proximate – mechanistic – what in the immediate environment led • to the observed behavior? • Ultimate – why did natural selection favor this behavior? • Related question – what’s more important, nature or nurture? • Both are equally important!! • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • Niko Tinbergen • 3-spined stickleback - FAP • Digger wasps – visual cues for learning • Konrad Lorenz • imprinting – learning that is limited to a specific time period (early) • & is usually irreversible • Critical period – early learning time

  7. BEHAVIOR: 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 than those that do not follow their mother. Figure 51.5 Proximate and ultimate perspectives on imprinting in graylag geese

  8. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • what an animal does & how it does it • What is ethology? • the study of behavior • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Proximate – mechanistic – what in the immediate environment led • to the observed behavior? • Ultimate – why did natural selection favor this behavior? • Related question – what’s more important, nature or nurture? • Both are equally important!! • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • Niko Tinbergen • 3-spined stickleback - FAP • Digger wasps – visual cues for learning • Konrad Lorenz • imprinting – learning that is limited to a specific time period (early) • & is usually irreversible • Karl von Frisch – honeybee communication • Round dance – food close - <50m • Waggle dance (figure 8) – food far - >50m

  9. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • What is ethology? • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • What is the difference between taxis & kinesis? • Taxis – targeted movement toward (+) or away (-) from a stimulus • Photo - light • Chemo – chemical • Rheo – river flow • Kinesis – generalized increase in activity – termites

  10. Moist site under leaf Dry open area (a) Kinesis increases the chance that a sow bug will encounter and stay in a moist environment. Direction of river current (b) Positive rheotaxis keeps trout facing into the current, the direction from which most food comes. Figure 51.7 A kinesis and a taxis

  11. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • What is ethology? • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • What is the difference between taxis & kinesis? • What is associative learning? • ability of some animals to associate one stimulus with another • Classical conditioning (learning) • Associating an arbitrary stimulus with an involuntary response • Pavlov’s dogs • Associated w/ INVOLUNTARY BEHAVIOR (ringing bell causes • salivation) • Operant conditioning (learning) – trial & error • Associating a voluntary behavior with a consequence (+ or -) • BF Skinner – Skinner box • Associated w/ VOLUNTARY BEHAVIOR (pressing a green button to • receive food; pressing a red button to receive an electric shock)

  12. Figure 51.16 Operant conditioning

  13. Figure 51.17 Young chimpanzees learning to crack oil palm nuts by observing older chimpanzees – practice

  14. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • What is ethology? • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • What is the difference between taxis & kinesis? • What is associative learning? • What is play? • Movements closely associated with goal-oriented behaviors • Stalking, hunting, attacking, mating, etc • What is agonistic behavior? • Threatening & aggressive behavior to avoid conflict where indvidiual • gains access to food or a mate • Determines the dominance hierarchy (pecking order) • What is territoriality? • Area that an animal defends so it can control food, water, mates, “homes” • Mating behavior….

  15. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • What is ethology? • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • What is the difference between taxis & kinesis? • What is associative learning? • What is play? • What is agonistic behavior? • What is territoriality? • What is courtship? • Series of behaviors to make sure animals are of the same species, • opposite sex, & in good physical condition • Ritualistic behaviors, scents, songs, male “fights” • Mating systems • Promiscuous – no strong pair-bonds or lasting relationships • Monogamous – 1 male & 1 female • Polygamous • Polygyny – 1 male (alpha) with several females (usual) • Polyandry – 1 female with several males (rare) • Semelparous – individuals only mate ONCE in lifetime

  16. Chapter 51: Behavioral Ecology • What is behavior? • What is ethology? • What is the difference between proximate & ultimate questions? • Let’s consider 3 famous ethologists… • What is the difference between taxis & kinesis? • What is associative learning? • What is play? • What is agonistic behavior? • What is territoriality? • What is courtship? • How do animals communicate? • Visual – colors, size, etc • Auditory – songs, grunts, etc • Olfactory – pheromones – chemical odors used for mating • 12. What is altruistic behavior? • Sacrificing one’s self to benefit the group • Belding’s ground squirrels • Male drone bees – sting & die to protect hive • Kin selection – altruistic behavior that benefits one’s relative • Family does not separate or move far from home

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