Notes: Animal Behavior

Behavior- the way an organism reacts to change or a stimulus (internally or externally) Stimulus- something that causes a change or response Taxis- the response of an organism moving away or toward something (ex. Phototaxis….light)

Behavior is generally divided into two types: 1. Innate behavior- behavior that has a genetic basis and does not need to be taught. A baby crying, a spider building its web, a mammal nursing from its mother right after its born.

2. Learned behavior- must be observed or taught to acquire the behavior Habituation- learning to ignore a stimulus (ex. If you live next to the train tracks you probably are unaware of trains as they pass- you become desensitized)

-Classical Conditioning- The act of associating one stimulus with another Ivan Pavlov- Experiment w/dog that showed classical conditioning

Before conditioning- dog drooled at the sight of food During conditioning- Pavlov rang the bell every time he fed the dog After conditioning- All Pavlov had to do to get the dog to drool was ring the bell. The dog associated the bell with food.

Operant Conditioning (also referred to as Trial & Error) Learning to behave through repeated practice in order to receive a reward or avoid a punishment

Skinner Box- lever or button that delivered a food reward when pressed

Insight or reasoning- most complex learned behavior. This occurs when an animal applies something it has already learned to a new situation, without a period of trial and error.

Imprinting- a complex response that is a combination of innate & learned behaviors Young animals have an innate urge to follow the first moving object they see. They must then learn through experience what object to follow (ex. Baby geese following a human) Imprinting can also occur through smell

Patterns of Behavior Cycles of Behavior- behaviors that repeat in a predictable manner Migration- seasonal travel for reproduction and feeding (Immigration= in; Emmigration = exit/out)

Circadian Rhythms- Daily/24-hour cycles Ex. Sleep cycle Diurnal- active during the day/sleep at night

Nocturnal- sleep during the day/active at night The fact that you sleep at night and go to school during the day is an example of circadian rhythm.

Hibernation- a state of inactivity in animals, used to survive during Cold temperatures; characterized by lower body temp, slower breathing and lower metabolic rate. Hibernation conserves energy, especially during winter.

Estivation- used to survive extreme heat/drought; a state of dormancy similar to hibernation

Courtship behaviors- ways of attracting mates through sounds, sight or smell Some mating behaviors include rituals, or an elaborate series of behavior used for communicating with other members of the species. Example: fireflies flashing their lights is a way of letting other fireflies know that they are ready to mate.

Birds of Paradise

Competition and Aggression- helps prevent some animals from using limited resources. Often involves a specific area or territory.

Social Behavior- living with closely related animals and helping them survive. Increases the chance of the ‘family genes’ being passed on to the next generation. Common examples include social insects such as ants, bees, and termites.

Jane Goodall- Behaviorist responsilbe for the foundation of primate studies today. She began her work in the 1960s observing the social behavior or chimpanzees in the wild.

Communication- Passing of information from one organism to another w/sight, sound, touch, or chemical signal (ex-pheromones)

Visual signals such as movement or colors.

Pheromones- A chemical signal that causes a response in another animal (Ex.1. a chemical in the ink elicited the trailing behavior in the termites; Ex 2. male elephants produce a pheromone that attracts female elephants…however too much pheromone repels the female)

Sound signals used by animals such as crickets, toads, birds, and dolphins.

Language- only used by humans (learned/taught- not innate)