Animal Behavior (you should all know something about this…)

What is Behavior? Behavior: Stimulus: Importance: A response to a stimulus Stimulus: An environmental change that directly influences the activity of an organism Importance: Behavior is an adaptive value to the organism, because natural selection favors certain behaviors

Inherited behavior Innate behavior Genetically inherited, automatic response

Inherited behavior Instinct A complex pattern of innate behavior that begins with the recognition of a stimulus and continues until all parts have been performed

Inherited behavior Fight or flight response An automatic response controlled by hormones that mobilizes the body for greater activity in an emergency

Inherited behavior Courtship behavior a type of instinctive behavior between the male & female that ensures reproduction

Inherited behavior Territorialism An animal defends a physical space against another member of its species This reduces competition among members of the same species

Inherited behavior Aggressive behavior Used to intimidate another animal of the same species, delivers a “keep away” message Ex: bird’s songs, teeth baring, growling

Inherited behavior Hierarchy A form of social ranking in a group in which some individuals are more subordinate Usually has one top-ranking individual, who may lead others to food, shelter, etc

Inherited behavior Circadian rhythm Light-regulated behavior, based on 24-hour cycle of the day May determine when an animal sleeps and wakes “Jet lag” interrupts these rhythms

Inherited behavior Migration The instinctive, seasonal movement of animals Response may be to both temperature change and hormones

Inherited behavior Hibernation A state in which the body temperature drops, oxygen consumption decreases, and breathing rates decline Purpose is to conserve energy (the “summer” version is called estivation)

What is learned behavior? Occurs when the behavior changes through practice or experience Has survival value because it allows the animal to adapt to change in its environment

Kinds of Learned Behavior Habituation Occurs when an animal is repeatedly given a stimulus not associated with any punishment or reward An animal becomes habituated when it finally ceases to respond to the stimulus

Kinds of Learned Behavior Imprinting When an animal forms a social attachment to another animal or object Usually occurs early in life and allows the animal to recognize its mother and others of its species Konrad Lorenz & “friends”

Kinds of Learned Behavior Trial & error learning When an animal gets a reward for making a particular response (an animal tries one solution and then another in the course of obtaining the reward)

Kinds of Learned Behavior Classical conditioning Learning by association (may be associated to a reward, punishment, or other motivation)

Pavlov’s dogs

Kinds of Learned Behavior Insight Learning in which the animal uses previous experience to respond to a new situation

Kinds of Learned Behavior Communication An exchange of information that results in a change of behavior They may signal each other by sound, sights, touches or smells

Whale song Dogs sniffing each others’ butts

Kinds of Learned Behavior Language The use of symbols to represent ideas Primarily in animals with complex nervous systems, memory and insight Koko Taylor