1. Ecology of Behavior

2. What is behavior? Everything an animal does, and how/why he does it.
Nature vs. nurture is actually genetics vs. environment

3. Genetic Components of Behavior
Behavioral ecology emphasizes evolutionary history.
The reason a fish behaves that way is due to its ancestors
Humans too!
Innate behaviors are genetic (flying, migrating)
Pheromones
Wasps Video

4. 5 Types of Behavior Kinesis Taxis Migration
Reaction is erratic
Taxis
Reaction is directional
Migration
Animal signals and communication
Physical, audible, chemical, electrical
Mating and parental behavior

5. Example of Animal Signaling

6. Types of Learning Habituation Spatial Learning Cognitive Maps
Associate Learning
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning

7. Example of Spatial Learning

8. Mating Systems
Promiscuous
Monogamous
Polygamous
Polygny
Polyandry

9. The Mystery of Altruism
Working for something that betters someone else, rather than you.
Evolutionary benefit or reflection of our Creator?
“Skeptics fear that evolutionary interpretations of human behavior could be used to justify the status quo in human society, thus rationalizing current social injustices”

10. Discussion
“In human affairs, we often explain our behavior in terms of subjective feelings or motives or reasons; but evolutionary explanations for behavior work in terms of reproductive fitness. What is the relationship between the two kinds of explanation? For instance, is a human explanation for behavior, such as “falling in love,” incompatible with an evolutionary explanation? Does falling in love become more meaningful or less meaningful (or neither) if it has an evolutionary basis?”