L11 - Animal behaviour: Introduction Flashcards
What is animal behaviour?
The way animals move and interact with their physical and social environment. Animal behaviour is studied as repeatable, definable, recognisable units
What is an example of repeatable, definable, recognisable units?
The graylag goose always retrieves an egg that has been bumped out of her nest in the same manner. This is a fixed action pattern. She carries this sequence to completion, even if the egg slips away during the process
What is the honeybee waggle dance?
The angle at which the bee moves relative to vertical relates information about the direction of the food source relative to the sun. The bee then circles around before repeating the waggle run, dancing in a figure-eight as long as it has other bees in attendance
What are some examples of the field of ethology?
Tinbergen and geese 1950s, King and baboons 2000s
What is the if the field of comparative psychology?
Scientific rivalry between european ethologists and north american experimental psychologists. Also studied animal behaviour in what was usually called comparative psychology. American psychologists emphasised the effects of learning on behaviour. European ethologists emphasised that animal behaviour is a biological phenomenon, and as such a product of evolution
Who was BF SKINNER?
Part of the rise of behaviourisms in the 1930s. Systematic approach to understanding behaviour. Controlled laboratory context. The ‘Skinner box’.
What is classical conditioning?
Food (US) leads to salivation (UR). Bell + food leads to salivation (UCS). Bell (CS) leads to salivation (CR)
What are approaches?
Complementary
What are cape chacma baboons?
Cape town. Males 25-50kg, females 15-25kg. Social groups (troops), long-lived, intelligent, flexible
An integrated approach - Historical sequence and Proximate explanations?
Ontogeny (Tinbergen 1963), development. How does a trait emerge across the lifespan
An integrated approach - Slice-in-time and Proximate explanations?
Causation (Tinbergen 1963), mechanism. How does the trait work, how is the trait elicited or produced.
An integrated approach - Historical sequence and Proximate explanations?
Evolution (Tinbergen 1963), evolutionary history. How did the trait evolve, why did the trait evolve
An integrated approach - Slice-in-time and Ultimate explanations?
Survival value (Tinbergen 1963), function. Why is the trait adaptive, why does the trait persist.
What is the harvest ant Camponotus saundersi relevance?
It’s a physical response generated through chemical processes. It’s an innate reflex developed in the individuals life-cycle. It’s an adaptive anti-predatory behaviour. It increases survival and is an evolutionary adaptation
What are the three approaches within ethology?
Empirical, conceptual, theoretical.
What do the three approaches within ethology entail?
Entails the generation of mathematical models. Revolutionised in the 60’s and 70’s. Much early focus on foraging behaviour - optimal foraging theory.
How does animal behaviour link to evolutionary biology?
Natural selection acts on behaviour.
How does group hunting evolve?
1% improvement in survival per generation is enough for the genotype-phenotype for pack hunting to increase in frequency. African wild dogs move off to hunt
What is ethology?
The study of animal behaviour and dates back about a hundred years.
What does ethology study?
Animals in their natural habitat, founded by Tinbergen, Lorenz.
What did comparative psychology lead to?
Behaviourism and studies animals in a lab, founded by pavlov and skinner
What are the two perspectives?
Proximate (immediate) and ultimate (selection) perspective
What is evolution fundamental for?
Studying of behaviour
