Chapter 13: Animal Behavior

Question 1

genetic basis of behavior

Answer 1

can be inherited through genes (innate-molded by natural selection-increase fitness) or
learned. Behavioral ecology is the study of behavior that seeks to explain how specific behaviors increase fitness

Question 2

kinds of behaviors

Answer 2

1. Simple and Complex Reflexes
   a. Simple- automatic 2 nerve (afferent/efferent) response to stimulus controlled @ spinal cord (lower animals)
   b. Complex- automatic response to significant stimulus (controlled @ brains stem or even cerebrum)
   i. Ex: Startle response- controlled by the reticular activating system
2. Instinct- behavior that is innate, or inherited
   a. Ex: In mammals, care for offspring by female parents
3. Fixed action patterns (FAP) - innate behaviors following a regular, unvarying pattern. Initiated by a specific
   stimulus called sign stimuli (releaser when between members of same species), and completed even if original
   intent of behavior cannot be fulfilled
   a. Ex: Goose methodically rolling egg back to nest even if it slips away or is removed
   b. Ex: Male stickleback fish defending territory against any object with red underside
   c. Ex: Swimming actions of fish/flying actions of locusts
4. Imprinting- innate program for acquiring specific behavior only if appropriate stimulus is experienced during
   critical period. Once acquired, trait is irreversible
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   a. Ex: Gay goslings accepting any moving object as mother during first day of life
   b. Ex: salmon hatch in freshwater, migrate to ocean to feed, return to birthplace to breed based on imprinted
   odors associated w/ birthplace
5. Associative learning- occurs when an animal recognizes (learns) that events are connected. A form called classical
   conditioning occurs when animal performs behavior in response to substitute stimulus rather than normal stimulus
   i. Ex: Dogs salivate when presented with food. PAVLOV bell ringing prior to food, could stimulate
   salivation with bell alone
   ii. Established innate reflex is unconditioned stimulus (food causing salivation), natural response to
   that is the unconditioned response (salivation)
   iii. Association of bell with food leads to it becoming conditioned stimulus that will elicit response
   even in absence of the unconditioned stimulus. Product of this conditioning experience is called the
   conditioned reflex (salivation)
   b. Trial-and-error learning (operant conditioning)- another form of associative learning that occurs when
   animal connects its own behavior with environmental response, reward. If response is desirable (positive
   reinforcement), animal will repeat behavior. If negative/undesirable (painful, e.g. punishment), animal
   avoids behavior (positive reinforcement = add something good to increase a behavior; negative
   reinforcement = take away something bad to increase a behavior vs positive punishment = add something
   bad to decrease behavior; negative punishment = take away something good to decrease behavior)
   i. Learned behavior can be reversed in absence of reinforcement; behavior no longer elicits the response (extinction)
   ii. Recovery of conditioned response to conditioned stimulus after delay following extinction = spontaneous recovery
   c. Spatial learning- Another form of associative learning. Animal associates attributes of landmark with
   reward of identifying and returning to that location
   i. Ex: Wasps able to associate pinecones with location of nest (lost upon removal)
6. Habituation- learned behavior that allows animal to disregard meaningless stimuli
   a. Sea anemones disregarding repeated “feeding” stimulation with a stick
   b. If stimulus no longer regularly applies, response will recover over time – spontaneous recovery
7. Observational learning- animal copies behavior of another without having experienced any feedback themselves
   a. Ex: All monkeys followed lead of first by washing off potato in water
8. Insight- When animal exposed to new situation w/out prior exp., performs a behavior that generates (+) outcome

Question 3

animal movement

Answer 3

1. Kinesis: an undirected (without direction) change in speed of an animal’s movement in response to a stimulus; slow
   down in favorable environment and speed up in unfavorable environment. Ex: animals scurrying when rock is lifted up
2. Taxis: directed movement in response to stimulus. Movement is either toward/away from stimulus. Phototaxis is the
   movement toward light. Ex: moths moving toward light, sharks moving toward food odors
3. Migration: long-distance, seasonal movement of animals. Usually in response to availability of food/degradation of
   environmental conditions. Ex: migration by whales, birds, elk, insects, and bats to warmer climates.

Question 4

communication in animals

Answer 4

Communication in Animals
1. Chemical- chemicals used for communication are pheromones. Chemicals that trigger reversible behavioral changes are
called releaser pheromones; those that cause long term physiological (and behavioral) changes are called primer
pheromones. Pheromones may be smelled or eaten.
a. Ex: Doe in heat – releaser pheromones
b. Ex: Queen bees and aunts secrete primer pheromones to prevent development of reproductive capability
2. Visual- during displays of aggression (agonistic behavior) or during courtship
a. Ex: aggression- wolves baring teeth/ submission- laying on back
b. Ex: Male sage grouse assemble into groups (leks) to perform courtship dance
3. Auditory
a. Ex: whale sound, elephant infrasound, frog calls, and songs of male birds
4. Tactile
a. Common in social bonding, infant care, grooming, and mating

Question 5

foraging behavior

Answer 5

optimize feeding (minimize energy spent and risk)
1. Herds, flocks, schools: several advantages, uses cooperation (carry out a behavior more successfully as a group_
a. Concealment: most individuals in flock are hidden from view.
b. Vigilance: in a group, individuals can trade off foraging and watching for predators.
c. Defense: a group of individuals can shield their young or mob their predator.
2. Packs: enable members to corner and successfully attack large prey.
3. Search images: help animals find favored or plentiful food based on specific and/or abbreviated target ‘image’; ex
spotting a police car (black and white search image), book on shelf (color and shape w/out reading title)

Question 6

social behavior

Answer 6

1. Agonistic behavior - (aggression and submission)- Ex: dog wagging tail
   a. Originates from competition from food, mates, or territory
   b. Agnostic behavior is ritualized, so injuries and time spent in contests are minimized
2. Dominance hierarchies – indicate power and status relationship in a group; minimize fighting for food/mates
   a. Pecking order- linear order of status used to describe dominance hierarchy in chickens
3. Territoriality- active possession and defense of territory- ensures adequate food/place to mate
4. Altruistic behavior- seemingly unselfish behavior that appears to reduce fitness of individual- when an animal risks
   its safety in defense of another/in order to help another individual rear its young
   a. Actually increases inclusive fitness (fitness of individual plus relatives [who share some identical genes])
   b. Kin selection- natural selection that increases inclusive fitness
   c. Ex: Squirrels alarm when predator comes  risky to self but save daughters, mothers, sisters, and aunts 
   kin selection.
   d. Ex: haplodiploid reproductive system of bees- males are haploid (unfertilized egg of queen) and female
   workers and queen are diploid (fertilized eggs). Females are highly related to each other (same father whose
   genes all come from a queen mother + same queen). Inclusive fitness of female workers is greater if she
   promotes production of sisters