Animal Behavior AP Biology meerkats What is behavior
Animal Behavior AP Biology meerkats
What is behavior? § Behavior u everything an animal does & how it does it § response to stimuli in its environment AP Biology
Why study behavior? § Evolutionary perspective… u u part of phenotype acted upon by natural selection § lead to greater fitness? § lead to greater survival? § lead to greater reproductive success? AP Biology
What questions can we ask? § Proximate causes u u immediate stimulus & mechanism “how” & “what” questions § Ultimate causes u u evolutionary significance how does behavior contribute to survival & reproduction § adaptive value u AP Biology “why” questions male songbird ® what triggers singing? how does he sing? why does he sing?
What is the difference between innate and learned behaviors? u innate behaviors § automatic, fixed, “built-in”, no “learning curve” § despite different environments, all individuals exhibit the behavior § ex. early survival, reproduction, kinesis, taxis u learned behaviors § modified by experience § variable, changeable § flexible with a complex & changing environment AP Biology
Innate behaviors male sticklebacks exhibit aggressive territoriality § Fixed action patterns (FAP) u u u sequence of behaviors essentially unchangeable & conducted to completion once started Triggered by a specific stimulus!! sign stimulus § the releaser that triggers a FAP AP Biology
Goose fixed action patter § The goose will retrieve the egg in the same manner, even if the egg is removed AP Biology
§ Proximate and ultimate causes for the FAP attack behavior in male stickleback fish 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. Figure 51. 4 AP Biology 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.
What does it mean that both “nature and nurture” can determine an animal’s behavior? § Animal behavior often involves a combination of genetic programming and environmental factors. AP Biology
Figure 35. 3 High-interaction mother Low-interaction mother Pups become relaxed adults Pups become fearful adults Female pups become high-interaction mothers Female pups become low-interaction mothers Cross-fostering experiment become relaxed adults APPups Biology Pups become fearful adults
How does this study illustrate the influence of the environment on behavior? § § behavioral changes can be passed to future generations the social environment Interactions with the mother changed gene expression in the rats which affected its development of its neuroendocrine system (fight or flight response) AP Biology
What is habituation? (learning) § An animal learns not to respond to a repeated stimulus that conveys little or no information. AP Biology
What are the ultimate causes of habituation? u May increase reproductive fitness by allowing an animal’s nervous system to focus on stimuli that signal § food, § mates, or § real danger. AP Biology
What is imprinting? § Learning to form social attachments at a critical (sensitive) period u u u generally irreversible learning and limited to a specific phase in an animal’s life called a sensitive period. Examples include § a young bird learning to identify its parents and § song development in birds. AP Biology © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Figure 35. 5 A AP Biology
Example of Imprinting 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 AP Biology
Conservation biologists have taken advantage of imprinting by young whooping cranes as a means to teach the birds a migration route. A pilot wearing a crane suit in an Ultralight plane acts as a surrogate parent. AP Biology teaching cranes to migrate
What is the difference between taxis and kinesis? § Taxis u u change in direction automatic movement toward (positive taxis) or away from (negative taxis) a stimulus § Ex: phototaxis (towards light) hydrotaxis (towards water) § Kinesis u Random movement in response to a stimulus § Ex: starting or stopping, changing speed, turning more/less frequently AP Biology
§ Sow bugs u Become more active in dry areas and less active in humid areas Moist site under leaf Dry open area (a) Kinesis increases the chance that a sow bug will encounter and stay in a moist environment. Figure 51. 7 a AP Biology
Learned behavior § Associative learning u learning to associate a stimulus with a consequence § operant conditioning § classical conditioning AP Biology
Operant conditioning § Skinner box B. F. Skinner Trial and error learning: mouse learns to associate behavior (pressing lever) with reward (food pellet) AP Biology
Classical conditioning § Ivan Pavlov’s dogs u AP Biology connect reflex behavior (salivating at sight of food) to associated (irrelevant stimulus (ringing bell)
Animal Behavior Review Questions § Match the description/example with the correct behavior category § § A. B. C. D. Classical conditioning Fixed Action Pattern Imprinting Operant conditioning 1. Highly stereotyped sequence of behaviors that, once begun, is 2. 3. 4. usually carried to completion Learning that occurs during a specific time period; generally irreversible Association with irrelevant stimulus with a fixed physiological response Trial and Error learning AP Biology
Social behaviors § Interactions between individuals u u u AP Biology develop as evolutionary adaptations communication / language agonistic behaviors dominance hierarchy cooperation altruistic behavior
What are the various ways in which animals can communicate? § Visual § Audible § Electrical § Chemical § Tactile u AP Biology Used to indicate dominance, find food, establish territory, and ensure reproductive success!
What are pheromones? § Pheromones u chemical signal that stimulates a response from other individuals § alarm pheromones § sex pheromones AP Biology
Agonistic Behavior Threats, rituals, and sometimes combat that determines which competitor gains access to a resource u Caused by conflicts over food, mates, or territories u AP Biology
Dominance Hierarchies § A higher ranking animal has greater § § § access to resources than a lower ranking animal. Decided by confrontation during which one animal gives way to another. Once established, little or no time is wasted in fighting. Dominant male mates more often with the females. APBiology AP
Social behaviors § Cooperation u working together in coordination Tends to increase the fitness of the individual and survival of the population u Pack of African dogs hunting wildebeest cooperatively AP Biology White pelicans “herding” school of fish
Social behaviors § Altruistic behavior Reduces individual fitness but increases fitness of others in a population u kin selection § increasing survival of close relatives passes these genes on to the next generation u APBiology AP How can this be of adaptive value? Belding ground squirrel
Social Behavior & Reproduction § Natural selection has favored mechanisms § § § that promote successful reproduction. Behavior is thus adaptive—behavioral traits can evolve. Sexual competition among males has contributed to the evolution of large size, brilliant breeding colors, antlers, etc. Known as sexual selection and the traits are called secondary sexual characteristics. APBiology AP
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