2. Chapter 52 Behavioral Biology

3. Innate behavior Some behaviors are “preprogrammed” into the nervous system Triggered by a stimulus - can vary Other examples??

4. Proximate causation defines how something works… Ultimate causation discusses why it works!

5. Behavioral genetics Take the “rats in a maze”… –Some learn faster than others to get the cheese –Genetic superiority??

6. Can also witness differences between identical twins! –Some say nature over nurture, but what about twins separated at birth who lead “parallel” lives? –Creepy??

7. Some behavior is learned… Touch a hot flame, learn to stay away from fire! Salivation at the sound of a bell…example of _____? Trial and error to get a desired result… Some are simply due to the biology of the animal. –Now have I.D.ed specific genes that may govern behavior

8. Learning influences behavior When we learn, we change our behavior to reflect that learning Some are not stimulated (habitual) and some require an association between a stimulus and a response. Ex: Pavlov Instinctual learning - biologically influenced - goes back to evolution… –Burying seeds and remembering where to find them = larger memory center in the brain of those animals who exhibit this behavior

9. Parent-Offspring interactions Most behavioral biologists recognize that behavior is both learned and genetic We imprint on our parents to a degree - this may influence some decisions later in life Other animals may imprint on the first thing they see! Genetically, animals may be attuned to certain songs, sound, or smells that guide them to the correct species: –Ex: Cuckoos - have pre-programmed songs for their species even though they are raised by others

10. Migratory Behavior Taxis - moving toward or away from a stimulus ex: moths to light Kineses - changing activity in response to an increasing stimulus Animals who migrate use the stars, sun, landmarks, and magnetic fields to navigateEx: monarchs, geese, sea turtles –Others?

11. Communication Some species have distinct sounds Pheremones Levels of specificity - to make the individual stand out

12. Social animals sometimes have designated individuals to carry out specific jobs ~ honeybees - guards, drones, queen ~ other examples? Language among higher animals - primates in particular - help convey meaning to others in the group

13. Evolution shapes behavior Behavioral ecology - study of how natural selection shapes behavior ~ after a baby bird hatches, the parents often remove the shell to reduce predators seeing the broken shell and eating the offspring - is adaptive Is all behavior adaptive? –Not necessarily…can be caused by genetic drift, gene flow, or consequences of conscious selection –Could also be past adaptations that evolved and are no longer useful!

14. Examples of behaviors… Foraging - looking for food and weighing the cost of finding it with the amount of reward at the end ~ must be energy efficient to be productive - max input per foraging time Territorial - defend your ground against predators and intrusion! Reproductive Strategies - benefit of choosing this mate over that one… –Parental investment - each sex makes a different contribution to making and rearing offspring –Vary greatly among species! Different mating systems Sexual selection for those that are genetically desirable

15. Evolution of social behavior? Altruistic - benfits one while costing the one who is helping * Seen in lions - all cubs nurse from more than just the mother Reciprocity - “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours”

16. Social animals are more likely to behave in a way to protect their kin if they have a higher number of related members in the group –~ ie - if a mother has many children in a group, she will act to protect them more than if she was a “aunt” to those children

17. Haplodiploidy Bees have distinct roles within the social group ~ members are of differing sizes and abilities ~ do not stray from their roles ~ males are haploid, females diploid ~ eusocial system

18. Vertebrate systems are less organized and are less altruistic Usually kin selected altruism So which is evolutionarily more advanced??? Still up for debate!