Animal Behavior Flashcards
Animal’s behavior
what it does and how it does it, usually in response to the environment
Behavioral ecology-
study of behavior in natural environments
Cost-benefit analysis-
every behavior involves benefits and costs. If benefits outweigh the costs, the behavior is adapted. Benefits- contribute to direct fitness or reproductive success. Costs- possible death
Innate behavior-
genetically programmed
Learned behavior-
modified in response to environmental experiences; Behavior begins with an inherited basis that can change based on experiences. Behavior depends on physiological readiness
Behavior patterns depend on …
motor programs.
Ex- Fixed action pattern (FAP)-
innate behavior that follows the same pattern. Can be elicited by a sign stimulus, or releaser-simple signal that triggers the behavior
Habituation-
type of learning in which an organism learns to ignore a repeated irrelevant stimulus
Imprinting-
social learning based on experience; Occurs during critical period (few hours or days after birth)
Classical conditioning-
association is formed between body function and stimulus
Operant conditioning
(trial and error learning)- animal must do something to get reward or avoid punishment (positive/negative reinforcement)
Insight learning-
when an animal is exposed to a new situation and is able to adapt past experiences to solve new problem
Play
may be an example of conditioning- can improve their ability to escape, kill prey, or perform sexual behavior
Biological Rhythms
Behavior is organized around circadian rhythms; Metabolic processes and behaviors are synchronized with cyclic changes in external environment; Many biological rhythms are regulated by internal biological clock- in mammals- located in the hypothalamus
diurnal v nocturnal
Diurnal animals are active during the day; nocturnal at night
Migration-
long-distance travel from one location to another
Usually in response to changes in season
Most use directional orientation-
directional orientation-
use the sun as a sense of
direction to orient themselves
Taxis
directed movement in response to a stimulus
Kinesis-
undirected change in speed of animal’s movement in response to a stimulus- speeds up in unfavorable environments
Foraging-
feeding behavior- involves locating and selecting food as well as gathering food and food capture. Herds, flocks, schools, etc provide concealment, easier to detect predators, greater defense from predators. Packs enable members to corner and successfully attack large prey
Communication-
one animal performs an act that changes the behavior of another
Pheromones
chemical signals secreted into the environment that convey information between members of a species
Visual communication
observed during aggression or courtship
Auditory- communication
sounds can be used to communicate over long distances
tactile communication
useful in social bonding, infant care, grooming, and mating
Social behavior-
interaction of two or more animals
Agonistic behavior
(aggression and submission)- originates from competition for food, mates, or territory
Dominance hierarchies-
indicates power and status relationships between individuals of a group; Some individuals are subordinate to others- can move up the social ladder
pecking order
status used to describe dominance hierarchy in chickens (higher=pecking first at food)
Territoriality-
possession and defense of the territory in which an animal lives
Altruistic behavior-
an individual behaves in a way that seems to benefit others rather than itself. Altruistic behavior increases inclusive fitness, the fitness of the individual + the fitness of relatives
fitness= ability to survive and reproduce
Kin selection-
form of natural selection that increases inclusive fitness through the breeding success of close relatives
