1. Adaptive Behavioral Responses
Stimulus – type of information that has the potential to make an organism change its behavior
Internal stimuli tell an animal what is happening in its own body
Ex. Thirst, hunger, pain
External stimuli give animals information about its surroundings
Ex. sound, sight, changes in length of day

2. Internal and External Stimuli
Interactions between internal and external stimuli usually trigger specific behaviors.
Ex. What might be some internal and external stimuli that cause you to wake up in the morning?

3. Detection and Response to Stimuli
Organs that are activated in response to stimuli:
1. Nervous System
-fight or flight response
2. Muscular System

4. Function of Behavior
Homeostatic mechanism-animal behaviors help maintain homeostasis
Two types of movement-related behaviors:
1. kinesis – random movement
2. taxis – movement in a specific direction

5. Cyclical Behaviors Circadian Rhythm – daily cycle of activity
ex. sleep at night, active during day
- Biological clock –internal mechanism that controls activity patterns

6. Hibernation Avoiding changing temperatures by entering a dormant state
Lower body temperature
Reduced heartbeat
Slowed breathing rate
Estivation (summer sleep) ectotherms escaping the heat

7. Migration
Periodic movement from one place to another and then back again.
Ex. birds, butterflies, whales
Seasonal

8. Instinct vs. Learning
Instinct – inborn behavior accomplished the first time is tries.
Innate – behavior that is performed correctly the first time an animal tries it
Ex. spiders building webs

9. Instinct vs. Learning
Learned behaviors- Animals often change their innate behavior as they gain experience
Types of learning:
Habituation – learning to ignore a repeated stimulus (ex. plastic garden owls in garden)

10. Types of learning continued…
Imprinting – a rapid and irreversible learning process that only occurs during a short time in an animal’s life
Ex. identifying parents
Imitation – learning by observing others
Ex. babies learning to speak

11. Associative Learning
Associative Learning – An animal learns to associate a specific action with its consequences
Ex. Trial and error learning
Classical Conditioning – animal learns to associate a previously neutral stimulus with a behavior that was once triggered by a different stimulus
Ex. Pavlov’s Dogs 11

13. Types of Associative Learning continued…
Operant Conditioning – positive or negative reinforcement increases or decreases a behavior
Ex. “Skinner boxes” or electrical fence for pets 13

15. Benefits and Costs of Behavior
Survivorship
Reproduction
Increased fitness
Energy Costs
Opportunity Costs
Risk Costs 15

16. Benefits Must Outweigh Costs
Territoriality – control of a specific area by one or more species
Optimal Foraging Theory – natural selection should favor behaviors that get animals the most calories for the cost 16

17. Social Behavior
Some animals live in groups that have definite social structures.
Benefits:
Improved foraging
Members can help each other
Reduces chance of predation
Costs:
Increased visibility to predators
Increased competition
Increased chance of spreading diseases or parasites 17

18. Social Behaviors
Communication - visual, sound, touch chemical- pheromones
Mate Selection – Courtship behaviors
Defense – aggressive actions for protection 18

19. Helpful Social Behaviors
Cooperation
Reciprocity
Altruism – animal reduces its own fitness to help others 19

20. Animal Cognition
Cognition is the mental process of knowing through perception or reasoning.
- Includes awareness and ability to judge
Solving complex problems 20

21. Solving Problems
Insight – ability to solve problems without repeated trial and error (ex. Monkey and bananas)
Animals use tools (inanimate objects to help accomplish a task)
Video clip on animal intelligence 21