Behavioral Ecology AP Biology meerkats Why study behavior
Behavioral Ecology AP Biology meerkats
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 male songbird ® what triggers singing? how does he sing? why does he sing? § adaptive value u “why” questions Courtship behavior in cranes AP what…how… & why questions Biology how does daylength influence breeding? why do cranes breed in spring?
What is behavior? § Behavior u everything an animal does & how it does it § response to stimuli in its environment § Nervous to muscular system involvement u innate behaviors § automatic, fixed, “built-in”, no “learning curve” § despite different environments, all individuals exhibit the behavior u AP Biology learned behaviors § modified by experience § variable, changeable § flexible with changing environment
Innate behaviors § Fixed action patterns (FAP) male sticklebacks exhibit aggressive territoriality Sequence of unlearned acts that are triggered by a sign stimulus (external cue) u Carried out to completion u AP Biology Egg Laying Geese attack on red belly stimulus court on swollen belly stimulus
Complex Innate behaviors § Use of environmental cues to carry out behavior u u u Migration, Hibernation, Estivation, Courtship “migratory restlessness” seen in birds bred & raised in captivity navigate by sun, stars, Earth magnetic fields Sandpiper Monarch AP Biology migration Bobolink ancient fly-ways Golden plover
Innate: Directed movements § Taxis u Response movement toward (positive taxis) or away from (negative taxis) a stimulus § phototaxis § chemotaxis § Kinesis Random movement in response to a stimulus u AP Biology ex: stopping, starting, or turning. ex: sowbug “kinesis” increases when conditions are dry.
Plant Behaviors § Responses to environment § Governed by hormonal signals § Phototaxis – movement towards light § Photoperiodism – response to different times of day AP Biology
video Learning: Imprinting § Young animals go through a “critical period” whereafter they follow the organisms present during the period. AP Biology Konrad Lorenz
Learning: Associative § learning to associate a stimulus with a consequence u operant conditioning § trial & error learning § associate behavior with Sheldon reward or punishment § ex: learning what to eat u Frazier AP Biology classical conditioning § Pavlovian conditioning § associate a “neutral stimulus” with a “significant stimulus”
Learning: Habituation Loss of response to stimulus u u decrease in response to repeated occurrences of stimulus enables animals to disregard unimportant stimuli § ex: falling leaves not triggering fear response in baby birds § ex: animals standing next to highway don’t get frightened after time AP Biology
Learning: Spatial § Establishment of memories that reflect the physical structure of the environment. § Ex: Squirrels using physical § markers to find buried food. Ex: Wasps using physical markers to find their nest. AP Biology
Learning: Problem-solving/Cognition § Involves reasoning, awareness, recollection and judgment Griffin Insight learning crow tool use sea AP Biology otter
Social behaviors § Interactions between individuals that develop into evolutionary adaptations u u u AP Biology communication / language agonistic behaviors dominance hierarchy cooperation altruistic behavior
Visual Communication § Honey bees dance to communicate location of food source u waggle dance u AP Biology
Sound Communication § Bird song species identification & mating ritual u mixed learned & innate u critical learning period u § Insect song mating ritual & song u innate, genetically controlled u AP Biology Red-winged blackbird
Chemical Communication § Pheromones u chemical signal that stimulates an innate response from other individuals § alarm pheromones § sex pheromones AP Biology
Pheromones Female mosquitos use CO 2 concentrations to locate victims……but apparently some of us breathe more than others… marking territory Spider using moth sex pheromones, as allomones, to lure its prey AP Biology The female lion lures male by spreading sex pheromones, but also by posture & movements
Social behaviors § Agonistic behaviors u threatening & submissive rituals § symbolic, usually no harm done u AP Biology ex: territoriality, competitor aggression
Social behaviors § Dominance hierarchy u social ranking within a group § “pecking order” AP Biology
Social behaviors § Cooperation u working together in coordination Pack of African dogs hunting wildebeest cooperatively AP Biology White pelicans “herding” school of fish
Behaviors should increase fitness! § Foraging behavior: Finding food and the energy costs Mating systems: u monogamy – single parents don’t work well, so males and females raise offspring together u polygamy/polyandry – maximizing reproductive success and protection Certainty of paternity: u Behaviors to increase chance of sperm fertilization Birds Sexual Selection/Mate Choice: u § § § u AP Biologyu Moonwalker Sexual dimorphism results Courtship behaviors – correlate to general health
Social behaviors § Altruistic behavior u reduces individual fitness but increases fitness of recipient § increasing survival of close relatives passes family genes on to the next generation – evolutionary fitness! “Kin Selection” AP Biology How can this be of adaptive value? Belding ground squirrel
Colonial mammals are altruistic! § Naked mole rats u underground colony, tunnels queen, breeding males, non-breeding workers hairless, blind “Picture a hot dog that's been left in a microwave a little too long…add some buck teeth at one end, and you've got a fairly good idea of what a Naked Mole Rat looks like. ” AP Biology
Make sure you can… § Provide proximate and ultimate § § explanations for behaviors Compare innate and learned behaviors and provide examples of each Describe how a particular behavior can evolve Explain how particular behaviors contribute to an organism’s fitness Explain how altruistic behaviors can evolve in a population AP Biology
Any Questions? ? AP Biology 2008 -2009
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