Ch 35 Behavioral Biology

1. Ch 35 Behavioral Biology Goals • Define behavioral ecology. • Explain & give examples of the following kinds of animal behavior: • Instinct • Fixed action patterns (FAP) • Imprinting • Associative learning & classical conditioning • Trial & error learning (operant conditioning) • Habituation • Observational learning • Insight • Explain the reason for migration and list the 3 ways organisms know where to go. • Social behavior: • Discuss how each of the following competitive social behaviors helps organisms survive & give examples: • Agonsitic • Dominance hierarchies • Territoriality • Explain the purpose of courtship behaviors & why females are so picky about the mates they chose. • Describe altruistic behavior & give an example. • Communication: • List 3 modes of communication among organisms & 2 reasons why organisms communicate.

2. Ch 35 Behavioral Biology • Behavior – what an animal does & how it does it • Behavioral ecology – research approach based on expectation that animals increase their Darwinian fitness by optimal behavior. • Darwinian fitness – the relative contribution an individual makes to the gene pool of the next generation.

3. Innate Behavior • Instinct; determined by genes • Developmentally fixed – same behavior despite env differences inside & outside their bodies • Fixed Action Pattern (FAP) – a sequence of behaviors, unchangable & carried to completion • Triggered by sign stimulus • Ex: moths fold wings in response to ultrasonic signals of bats • Ex: bird with egg rolling out of nest • How do these work to enhance fitness?

4. Learning • Experience based modification of behavior • Most innate behaviors improve w/ experience (flying / developmental…) • Habituation – simple type of learning – loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little or no info • Ex: hydra stop contracting tentacles when touched repeatedly w/ out any danger • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfu0FAAu-10&feature=related • Imprinting – learning limited to a critical time • Ex: zebras, geese, language, mate recognition • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGBqQyZid04

5. Learning • Associative Learning – animals learn to associate 1 stimulus w/ another • 2 types: • Classical conditioning – irrelevant stim associated w/ a physiological response (ex: bell/salivate) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP5lCleK-PM • Operant conditioning – trial & error learning / associate behavior w/ a reward or punishment (ex: quills of porcupine…) (skinner) • Play – practices survival behavior, establishes social rules, gives exercise

6. Insight • Correct behavior on 1st attempt • “wow – that’s big! I better stay away even though I don’t know what it is!”

7. Movement from place to place often depends on internal coding of spatial relationships • Cognitive maps – mental maps of spatial relationships. Ex: bees • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ijI-g4jHg • 2 types of movement w/ out cognitive maps: • Kinesis – random movement & then change in activity rate in response to a stimulus if present • Taxis – automatic movement toward or away from a stimulus (phototaxis – move away from light)

8. Migration Behavior • Regular movement over long distances – usually in response to decrease in food supply • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYM6LqDJLiM • 3 mechanisms used to find way • Piloting • Orientation • navigation

9. Social Behavior Working together helps the entire species survive • Competitive social behaviors: • Agonistic – involves threatening & submissive behaviors to determine who gets resources (Ex: wolves putting chin under others) • Benefits of this? Winner established w/ out fighting or death • Dominance Hierarches – rank • Ex: chickens – determines who gets resources w/ out hurt • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg1RPCfcGZs&feature=related • Territory – an area defended usually excluding other members of own species. • Benefits? Cuts down on competition, keeps population stable, benefits outweigh E costs of defending

10. Mating Behavior • Relates directly to animals fitness • Courtship – sequence of actions that confirms: • Same species but opposite sex • In appropriate physiological condition • Not a threat • Moonwalking bird below http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=072A5xbhO3I&feature=related Mating dance… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dx2CUMtZ-0&feature=related • Parental Investment – time & resources an individual must expend to produce offspring • Choose wisely to make it worth it / genetic quality • Females mammals picky b/c they have high investment / males usually have pronounced 2ndary sex characteristics due to this • Mating systems…

11. Modes of Communication • Pheromones – chemicals used to communicate • Inclusive fitness – total effect an individual has on passing its genes by having offspring & helping close relatives to have offspring • Kin selection – the more closely related the more strongly you’ll defend them • Altruistic behavior – behaviors that reduce individual fitness but increase others fitness • Ex: alarm calls, sterile bees, stinging worker bees die after stinging