ANIMAL BEHAVIORS Behaviors Definition An action or series

ANIMAL BEHAVIORS

Behaviors � Definition: An action, or series of actions, performed by an animal in response to a stimulus. �Stimulus: Change in the environment such as a sound or smell. It can also be internal such as hunger.

Questions � How is the behavior triggered? �What is the mechanism? � What is the reasoning for the behavior? �Why questions look at evolution. ○ Often the reason an animal performs a behavior is because it will increase its longevity or ability to reproduce.

Why example… � Lions �Male lions can only keep control of a pride for a couple of years. In this time they have to have cubs of their own. �Females though will not reproduce if they already have cubs. If their cubs die they will want to reproduce immediately. �They kill other males cubs to have their own.

Natural Selection � Natural Selection will always favor the traits that ensure the survival and reproduction of an individual not the group. � It is all about competition!!!

Where do they come from? � Genetic? �Some traits animals are born with such as chirping in crickets. �An experiment was done where they took 2 types of crickets: 1 chirps a lot, the other group chirped less. �They mated with the extreme males in both groups and by the 4 th generation the difference between the 2 groups was huge.

Learned through experience? � Learning: the development of behaviors through experience. � Imprinting: learning to recognize the mother. �Konrad Lorenze �He was able to imprint the young geese to himself.

Conditioning… � Conditioning is when an animal is taught to associate behaviors with a learned stimulus. �Ivan Pavlov taught dogs to associate the ringing of a bell with food. They would salivate on cue.

Communication � Animals use signals to communicate and read their environment. �Signal: posture, call, scent, movement, or facial change. �To be effective the signal must be able to travel through the environment.

Language � Language is used by primates including humans. �Primates: use vocabulary they associate with the presence of a predator. ○ Chimpanzees do this all the time. ○ Odor and other non-verbal cues are also apart of communication.

Sexual Selection The evolutionary mechanism where the traits that enhances an animal’s ability to get mates increases in number.

Sexual Selection �Monogomy: When 1 female and 1 male mate for long period of time. • An example is humans, some birds, and the dwarf African antelope. • Very few mammals practice monogomy. • Alpha and Beta pairings.

Sexual Selection �Polygyny: When 1 male mates with more than one female. �They do this to ensure their genes get passed on to the next generation. �There are lots of examples of this found in nature. • Elk • Deer • Prairie Chickens • Wild Horses

Sexual Selection � Polyandry: When 1 female mates with more than 1 male. �Do this to ensure survival of their offspring. �There also lots of examples of this found in nature. • Chimpanzees • Squirrels • Frogs • Dragonflies

Sexual Selection �Choosing A Mate �Each species usually produces its own sound to ensure they mate with their own species. �Most females and some males shop around for the best mate. ○ Males are often limited in evolutionary success by mates.

Sexual Selection � There are physical indicators of an animals genes. �Females will determine who has the best genes through their physical traits. �Example: Female frogs listen to many males calls and then pick the best call.

Sexual Selection/Courtship What gender is often in charge of courtship? Why?

Foraging Locating, obtaining, and consuming food.

Foraging � Example: squirrels �Some squirrels put all their food in one place. �Some squirrels bury it all over. What are some pros and cons of both situations?

Migration Why would migration be evolutionarily advantageous?

Territorial Behavior � Resources=Mates � This makes defensive strategies vital! �Examples: food, mates, killing their young. �Wolves, as a pack, will defend their territory. �Not all defense of territory is done in groups.

Kin Selection � When an individual helps its relatives reproduce instead of having its own offspring. � Altruism is a self-sacrificing behavior. Is kin selection an altruistic behavior?

Kin Selection � Examples are ants, bees, wasps, and termites. �Worker bees spend their entire life assisting the queen bee (the only female that can reproduce).

Parental Care � Only necessary if you have a few offspring.

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