animal behavior

Question 1

ethology

Answer 1

study of animal B

• instinctive/innate in nat envir

Question 2

applied ethology

Answer 2

study of an B in situations where they interact w/ humans
* domesticated, zoo, captive
* not in NE
* interact w/ humans that normally wouldn’t

Question 3

ethogram

Answer 3

catalog of all nat B performed in NE
* can be defined or researcher can define

Question 4

why animals perform B

Answer 4

to survive & reproduce

1. interactions w/ envir

    ○ climate ➞ mechanisms to cope
    ○ habitat
    ○ other animals
    ○ food

2. Flexible and dynamic response

    ○ can change quickly  unconscious

Question 5

contributions to fitness

Answer 5

survival

• Find food
• find shelter
• avoid being killed
  interactions with others

reproduction

• Find mates
• provide for young
  maternal care

Question 6

example of how tradeoffs in B influence survival/reprod

Answer 6

roosters make louder/more sounds for higher value resources

• sound to signal resources in presence of hens or in hopes attracting nearby hens, but not in presence of males ➞ improves reproductive fitness & limits competition
• Roosters risk attracting males when signaling nearby hens

Question 7

Tinbergen’s 4 questions

Answer 7

proximate: how (short-term)

1. how does B happen/what stimuli elicit B

   * proximate mechanisms

2. how does B develop/how did it change throughout an animal’s life

   * ontogenetic processes

ultimate: why

3. why perform B/how does it help animal survive

   * functional consequences

4. why keep B over evolution/what were selective pressures that shaped the B

   * phylogenic origins

Question 8

practical implications of aggression in bulls

Answer 8

• ↓ ability to handle
• ↓ carcass quality
• ↓ growth efficiency
• ↑ pen damage

Question 9

proximate changes associated w/ aggression: testosterone production in testicles

Answer 9

at puberty, hypothalamus produces gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) which stimulates pituitary to produce luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) which stimulates testes to produce testosterone & sperm

Question 10

solution to aggression in bulls

Answer 10

castration
* surgical castration
* welfare concern
* immunocastration

Question 11

proximate study of aggression in bulls

Answer 11

to see if testosteron was the cause

• • measured at birth, 4mo, 6mo, 12mo
• treatment 1: control
• treatment 2: immunocastrated immunized at 4mo & 12mo
• treatment 3: surgically castrated

results: testosterone drives aggressive B

Question 12

ultimate study of aggression in bulls

Answer 12

• bulls of all ages allowed mating w/ females ➞ only 4-6y old bulls fathered females
• younger bulls allowed mating w/ females ➞ all fathered

results: reproduction innate, lack of fathering due to competition