animal behavior Flashcards
an action carried out by muscles under control of the nervous system
behavior
-what stimulus elicits the behavior, and what physiological mechanisms mediate the response?
-how does the animal’s experience during growth and development influence the response?
-how does the behavior aid survival and reproduction?
-What is the behavior’s evolutionary history?
maximizes an individual’s fitness
optimal behaviors
the study of ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior
behavioral ecology
addresses “how” a behavior occurs or is modified, including Tinbergen’s questions 1 and 2
proximate causation
addresses “why” a behavior occurs in the context of natural selection, including Tinbergen’s questions 3 and 4
ultimate causation
a sequence of unlearned acts directly linked to a simple stimulus
fixed action pattern
causation example
-fish breed in the spring
-proximate causation: triggered by day length
-ultimate causation: breeding is most successful when food is present and temperature is optimal
trigger for a behavior is an external cue
sign stimulus
a regular long distance change in location
migration
an internal mechanism that maintains a 24 hour activity rhythm or cycle
circadian clock
behavioral rhythms linked to the yearly cycle of seasons
circannual rhythms
stimulus transmitted from one organism to another
signal
transmission and reception of signals between animals constitutes
communication
Fruit Fly Courtship
- A male identifies a female of the same species
-Chem comm.: he smells a female’s chemicals in the air
-Visual comm.: he sees the female and orients his body towards hers - The male alerts the female to his presence
-Tactile comm.: he taps the female w a foreleg
-Chem. comm.: he chemically confirms the female’s identity - The male produces a courtship song to inform the female of his species
-Auditory comm.: he extends & vibrates his wig
-motivates the follower bees to leave the hive and search for nearby food
-returning bee moves in tight circles while moving its abdomen from side to side
round dance
-when the food source is farther from the nest, the returning bee instead performs
-half circle swing in the other direction, straight run during which the bee waggles its abdomen, and a half-circle swing in the other direction
waggle dance
Courtship behavior of the fruit fly (summary)
-Orienting: male visually recognizes female. Female releases chemicals detected by the male’s sense of smell
-Tapping: male taps female’s abdomen with a foreleg
-Singing: Male extends and vibrates wing, producing a courtship song
many animals that communicate through odors emit chemical substances called
pheromones
developmentally fixed and does not vary among individuals
innate behavior
place the young from one species in the care of adults from another species
cross-fostering studies
allows researchers to compare the relative influences of genetics & environment on behavior
twin studies
is the modification of behavior based in specific experiences
learning
is a behavior that includes learning and innate components and is generally irreversible
Imprinting
limited development phase that is the only time when certain behaviors can be learned
sensitive period
is a more complex modification of behavior based experience w the spatial structure of the environment
spatial learning
is an internal representation of spatial relationships between objects in an animal’s surroundings
cognitive map
is when animals associate one feature (stimulus) of their environment w another
associative learning
is a type of associative learning in which an arbitrary stimulus is associated w a reward or punishment
classical conditioning
is a type of associative learning in which an animal learns to associate one of its behaviors with a reward or punishment (trial and error learning)
operant conditioning
is a process of knowing that may include awareness, reasoning, recollection, and judgement
cognition
is the process of devising a strategy to overcome an obstacle
problem solving
is learning through the observation of others and forms the roots of culture
social learning
is a system of information transfer through observation or teaching that influences behavior or individuals in a population
culture
or food obtaining behavior, includes recognizing, searching for, capturing, and eating food items
foraging
in many species, mating is _____, with no strong pair-bonds or lasting relationships
promiscuous
one male mates with one female
monogamous
an individual of one sex mates with several individuals of other sex
polygamous
species with poly mating systems are usually _____: male and females have different external morphologies
sexually dimorphic
one male mates with many females- the males are usually more showy and larger than the females
polygyny
one female mates with many males- the females are often more showy than the males
polyandry
an often ritualized contest that determines which competitor gains access to a resource
agonistic behavior
evaluates alternative strategies where the outcome depends on each individual’s strategy and the strategy of other individuals
game theory
on occasion, some animals behave in ways that reduce their individual fitness but increase the fitness of others or selflessness
altruism
is the total effect an individual has on proliferating its genes by producing offspring and helping close relatives produce offspring
inclusive fitness
the fraction of genes that, on average, are shared; r
coefficient of relatedness
natural selection favors altruism when rB > C
hamilton’s rule
is the natural selection that favors this kind of altruisic behavior by enhancing reproductive success of relatives
kin selection
altruisic behavior toward unrelated individuals can be adaptive if the aided individuals returns the favor in the future
reciprocal altruism
human culture is related to evolutionary theory in the distinct discipline of
sociobiology
