Animal behavior How do we study it? How do we classify it?

The science of animal behavior How do animals behave? proximate causation what physiological mechanisms enable this Why do they behave as they do? ultimate causation evolutionary origin and purpose of the behavior These areas of study may not overlap much

Many approaches to the study of animal behavior Comparative psychology are there general laws of behavior? originally studied by inference later: controlled experiments rats, pigeons, dogs, primates Out of context; no evolutionary perspective

Ethology: study of animal behavior in its natural habitat Founders: Konrad Lorenz, Karl von Frisch, Niko Tinbergen Techniques: field observation using natural variables but manipulating them performing laboratory experiments but comparing results with natural ones

Insights: behavioral traits can be measured behaviors have evolutionary histories Sociobiology (E.O. Wilson. 1970s) social behavior is reciprocal, cooperative organisms depend on each other Examples: colonial vertebrates social insects mammals such as dolphins and elephants humans

Controversial: to what extent is human culture biologically determined? All of the above approaches can be applied to behavioral ecology (patterns will be favored that promote survival and reproductive success) Song repertoire Cost-benefit analysis of foraging

How do you describe behavior? 1930s egg-rolling in greylag goose Sequence was carried out to completion regardless Stereotypical behavior releaser (triggering stimulus) sign stimulus Seen even when inappropriate

What happened: male stickleback is territorial belly becomes red; male will become aggressive against another red-bellied male Tinbergen: males reacted to red objects in their environment Made models with and without red undersides English robins react the same way Costs and benefits of such behaior?

FAP (fixed action pattern) May be “expensive” if activated incorrectly Otherwise may be the most efficient way of doing things

Are these behaviors innate? no teaching necessary appear suddenly and are as successful as behavior in older animals How to account for environment? When is learning appropriate? (modifying behavior due to past experiences) Learning vs (neurological) maturation

Habituation as a form of learning Loss of response to stimuli that are not helpful Many examples, e.g., aquatic snail Aplysia (Kandel et al.) Some neural pathways became less active New neural pathways may also be formed, or can change

Imprinting is time sensitive is usually irreversible usually very reliable

Social behavior What do we mean by social behavior (inter- action between one member of a species an another of the same species) Groups may respond to the same environmental signal (light, temperature, etc.) Social aggregations; animals signal to each other What are some examples of social interaction?

Breeding (may be the extent of it for some animals!) Defense Finding food Division of labor Parent-child interactions learning

Japanese macaques One female started washing sand off of sweet potatoes Others imitated her; they later taught their offspring to do so. She later learned to do this with grain. Her peers imitated her; the older males did not!

Any disadvantages to social living? Depends on the circumstances May need more room May be safer when dispersed

Aggression and dominance Cooperativity and competition Many animals have ritualized ways of showing aggression, submission, etc. Sometimes the roles are not as clear-cut, so dominant animals are challenged

Territoriality Against “intruders” of the same species Crustaceans, insects, fishes, amphibians, lizards, birds, mammals (are humans territorial?)