Lecture 3/4 - Ethology

Question 1

Definition Ethology

Answer 1

The scientific and objective study of animal behaviour, its causation and function

Question 2

Ethology founders

Answer 2

Tinbergen (cause, function, ontogeny, phylogeny)
Lorenz
Von Frisch

Question 3

The history of ethology

Answer 3

For survival of homo sapiens: traps and killing dangerous animals

Evidence that humans observed behaviour: documentation 30k years ago

Began beginning 20th century

Question 4

Functionality behaviour

Answer 4

For survival, Interaction between animals, locomotion, grooming, reactions

Question 5

Types of behaviour

Answer 5

Fetal
Parturient
Maternal
Neonatal
Juvenile
Sexual
General social

Question 6

Feeding behaviour

Answer 6

Foraging, rate of ingestion will limit intake

Question 7

Sexual behaviour

Answer 7

Hormones, pheromones, light (> horses in spring), auditory stimuli (> vocal expression)

Question 8

Social behaviour

Answer 8

Bonding, personal space, recognition of individuals, grooming, hierarchy

Leader > initiator > controller

Question 9

Imprinting

Answer 9

Early in an animal’s life when it forms attachments (e.g. following mom in ducklings)

Question 10

Innate behaviour

Answer 10

Do not have to be learned. Also called instinctive behaviours.

Walking, breathing, eating

Question 11

Classical conditioning

Answer 11

Happens unconsciously (clicker training)

Question 12

Operant conditioning

Answer 12

Rewards and punishments for behaviour

Question 13

The relevance of understanding animal behaviour in daily management is…

Answer 13

To encourage good and discourage bad behaviour

Knowing when an animal is dangerous

Knowing how to keep animals

Question 14

Ontogeny

Answer 14

How behaviour develops over an animals lifetime. E.g. how predators learn to avoid toxic/dangerous prey with experience > individually

Question 15

Phylogeny

Answer 15

How behaviour has evolved over many animals

Question 16

Is behaviour complex?

Answer 16

Yes

Question 17

Primary defense mechanism

Answer 17

When there’s no predator around > hiding, timing. E.g. active at night

Question 18

Secondary defense mechanism

Answer 18

When predator is around > faking death, exaggerating primary defense.

Question 19

Reactive behaviour

Answer 19

Reflex, vocalization, display (lower head), defensive action

Question 20

Reactivity to predators

Answer 20

Fight, flight or freeze.

Question 21

Foraging

Answer 21

When an animal is moving around in a way that they are likely to encounter food for themselves or offspring.

Question 22

Idling

Answer 22

Stationary standing

Question 23

Drowsing

Answer 23

State of wakefulness with signs of light sleep (head movement, eye closure)

Question 24

Resting

Answer 24

Recumbent position with evident wakefulness

Question 25

Sleeping

Answer 25

Flat on side, lateral recumbancy, brain sleep and body sleep

Question 26

Stability of social relationship depends on…

Answer 26

Recognition between individuals
Social positions
Memory of social encounters

Question 27

Harem

Answer 27

Animal group

Question 28

Solitary

Answer 28

Not living with others in its species

Question 29

Anthropomorphism

Answer 29

Any attribution of human characteristics. Such as Mickey mouse walking like a human.

Question 30

Personification

Answer 30

A cat dancing

Question 31

What is learning

Answer 31

Learning is a change in the brain, which results in behaviour being modified for longer than a few secs, as consequence of information from outside the brain

Question 32

Stimulus

Answer 32

Change in the environment that produces behavioral response

Question 33

Stimuli

Answer 33

The sight of food. Animals react to stimuli

Question 34

Habituation

Answer 34

Occurs when animals are exposed to the same stimuli repeatedly and eventually stop responding.

Question 35

Sensitization

Answer 35

Increasing sensitivity to a stimulus