Lecture 5 Undertaking Behaviour studies

Question 1

How do you study animal behavior?

Answer 1

This requires an aspect of behavior to be measured which is quantified by allocating numbers to observations according to specified rules.

Question 2

What do you need to study?

Answer 2

The mechanisms that cause the behaviour, for example hormones

The understanding of the specific animals behaviour as a whole

This can include interactions within populations as well as movement of an individual’s limb.

However this all depends on the question being asked

Question 3

Give an example of behaviour questions?

Answer 3

Gull paddles its feet furiously up and down in the sand mud- running on the spot

So you then answer these:

What is happening?

Why?

Question 4

What are the 4 questions?

Answer 4

Why? So what do they get out of it? Function - What evolutionary advantage does it give? Survival value? - what does the adaptation do to survival rate?

Also what makes them do it? What started this and what stimulates them to do it?

Question 5

What is the development question?

Answer 5

How does the behaviour develop? Is it learned? Determine by comparing behaviour of young and old

Question 6

What is the Evolve question?

Answer 6

How has this behaviour evolved? Using the historical origins you can determine this. Is it seen in closely related species? Use DNA evidence.

Question 7

Define the classification of an experiment?

Answer 7

An experiment is only classified as an experiment when following this definition: Manipulating something (Independent variable) and measuring its effect on something else (Dependent variable), while other facts are held constant.

Question 8

What is the problem with laboratory studies?

Answer 8

Becomes difficult to generalize

The factors that affect captive behaviour may not affect behaviour in the wild

Artificial situations can affect behaviour with constraints in range of behaviours.

Question 9

What is an free-living animal?

Answer 9

An free-living animal, this is an animal with a more natural behaviour, this study can provide an understanding of how animals behaviour is adapted to its normal environment

Question 10

what can be a problem with fieldwork?

Answer 10

Visibility and timing can be a problem

Some behaviours found in one habitat may not be typical in others

Complexity- confounding
variables (Confusing vairables)

Question 11

Explain controlled field study

Answer 11

Sometimes aspects of the environment can be changed or controlled during the field work. However this is not often possible or even done.

Question 12

What is correlation?

Answer 12

Similar result however could be mean nothing at all

Question 13

When is it best to observe?

Answer 13

It is best to observe at the appropriate time of day and season

Question 14

Define Diurnal

Answer 14

meaning day

Question 15

Define Nocturnal

Answer 15

Meaning night

Question 16

Define Diel

Answer 16

meaning 24hr pattern

Question 17

What can 24 hour sampling do?

Answer 17

24 hour sampling can be done to look at the variations over a day/night cycle

Question 18

When is it best to keep to an observational point?

Answer 18

It is best to use the same time each day as an observational point

Results shouldn’t be generalized to other times

Question 19

What are the dangers in recording behaviour?

Answer 19

The observer becoming part of their own experiment, sometimes if the observer is involved they can teach the animal to respond to human traits which will give them incorrect data. Often the teaching is accidental and only works with the observers behaviour.

Being eaten by the animals

Question 20

What shouldn’t be done when recording behaviour?

Answer 20

Not identifying other possible external influences

Animals that aren’t fit, healthy or are injured or even dead should not be used

Ignoring the fact that animals may be using senses that cannot identify or be measured

Question 21

What are more dangers of recording behaviour?

Answer 21

Interpreting before describing behaviour

Ignoring the fact that behavioural differences in captive or domestic situations may be different compared to the wild

Forgetting that classifications of behaviour known as typologies are artificial, they may ignore behaviours that are not so discrete

Question 22

Define Anthropomorphism

Answer 22

Assigning human feelings onto animals

Question 23

Define Ethogram

Answer 23

This is a formal list of behaviours which are all associated with a particular species.

It is an early stage in which investigation undergoes with the behavioural repertoire of a species.

Question 24

What are the behaviours listed?

Answer 24

The behaviours listed are so very discrete, characteristic and describable that any observer may record the number of such acts or even the time in which the acts are engaged in with a time budget.

Question 25

What difficulties involved in compiling ethograms might include?

Answer 25

Missing the rarely performed behaviours, graded displays (Sometimes behaviour is done in a larger or smaller way). Inter-individual variation and non-stereotyped behaviours.

Question 26

How could the behaviours be written down?

Answer 26

The behaviours described could be written down with any reference to their purpose.

Some species may use what might be a threat display, however this should still be given a descriptive name.

Each behaviour in the list must have a name and a definition to help the readers understand what you mean.

Question 27

What is the sampling rules?

Answer 27

Sampling rules: Sampling is needed during the observation of a group of animals, this is because it is unrealistic to provide a complete description of the behaviour of a group of animals.

Question 28

What is Ad libitum sampling?

Answer 28

No systematic constraints, note down what is visible and seems relevant. This is useful for preliminary observations

Question 29

What is focal sampling?

Answer 29

Focus upon an individual out of a group, their behaviour is recorded over a given time.

Question 30

What is scan sampling?

Answer 30

The group is scanned entirely, their behaviours are recorded at regular intervals

Question 31

Define Behaviour sampling

Answer 31

This is the focus on the one particular behaviour

The whole group is scanned, however when one individual is performing the behavior under observation they are focused on until they stop the specific behaviour. The whole group is constantly scanned until another performs this act.

This type of observation is good for significant types of behaviours such as fighting.

Question 32

How can recording behaviour be done?

Answer 32

The way in which the behaviour is recorded and the time in which it is recorded must be decided

Check sheet used for recording

A tape recorder, video camera or an automatic recording device can be used

Question 33

What are the recording rules?

Answer 33

Behaviour must be recorded at predetermined time intervals. Time sampling

Recording can be continuous

Question 34

Define Latency

Answer 34

This is the measure of the time in which it takes for an animal to perform a specific behaviour following an event

Question 35

Define frequency

Answer 35

The measurement of the number of occurrences of a behaviour within a given time.

Question 36

Explain duration

Answer 36

This is the measurement of the length of time of a which a single occurrence of behaviour lasts.

A duration of time is given and within that time, the behaviour is timed. Stopping once the behaviour is finished. But continuing the timer if recurred within the duration of time.

Question 37

Define intensity

Answer 37

This when a measurement is difficult to define because it depends on the behaviour being observed and can be measured in a variety of units

Question 38

Explain how the study of sequence of behaviours works?

Answer 38

Observation of a sequence in which behaviours are carried out

Move from one behaviour to another.

Question 39

What are the 3 Rs in eithics?

Answer 39

Reduction in number of animals used

Refinement of experimental procedures to minimise impact

Replacement, looking for alternatives

Stick to the 3 Rs to keep the task Ethical at all times