Lecture 6 Flashcards
Ethology I
What is the definition of behaviour?
1pt
The outward response (hence observable) of an organism to external and internal stimuli
What is the definition of ethology?
1pt
The study of animal behaviour. Quantitative or qualitative assessment through visual observation or the use of technology. It includes the study its causation, biological functioning and adaptive evolution
What are the Classification of behaviours and their definition?
7pt
- Reflexes: An involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. Made possible by neural pathways outside of the brain. E.g.: corneal reflex, salivation
- Centrally-generated patterns: Repetitive movements generated by central circuits, shaped by sensory and neuromuscular dynamics. E.g. Breathing, blinking, chewing
- Modal (Fixed) action patterns: A sequence of innate behaviours triggered by a particular stimulus. Species-specific. E.g.: Nest building, salmon swimming upstream a river for breeding, territorial demonstrations, breast latching and sucking
- Modulation of modal action patterns: Motivational states, training or experience alters the strength of a response to a stimulus. Hierarchical control from the brain over intuitive or innate responses.
- Motivated behaviours: Conscious, flexible and leading to a goal. E.g. food seeking, resting, scratching, drinking
- Rythms and motivation: Internally generated rhythms and external signals interact with motivational states. For example, animals normally exhibit a circadian rhythm for feeding, exploring
- Complementary processes: There may be reflexes (local, fast reactions of head withdrawal) and central motivational controls (involving pain, negative experiences) that act together to minimize damage
What is applied ethology?
1pt
The study of the behaviour of animals that are under some form of human management.
What are the main interests of applied ethology?
4pt
- Welfare assessment : Behaviours indicative of good or bad welfare patterns
- Optimize productivity: Group housing, feeding management…
- Behavioural control: Animal training, virtual fencing…
- Behavioural disorders: Stereotypies, pathological disorders…
Who shared the Nobel Prize for their discoveries concerning organization and elicitation of individual and social behavior patterns in animals? what year did they win it? What are they regarded as?
5pt
- 1973
- Karl Von Frisch- Bee signaling
- Konrad Lorenz - Bonding/imprinting
- Nikolaas Tinbergen - 4 scientific questions
- They are regarded as the founders of modern ethology
What are Tinbergen’s four questions (to explain an observed behaviour)?
4pt
Proximate causes
* Causation (Mechanism): What causes the behaviour to be performed? Both internal (hormones, motivation,..) and external (captured by visual, olfactory) modulators of the behaviour
* Development (Ontogeny): How has the behaviour developed during the lifetime of an individual? Sexual maturity, learning, age
Ultimate causes
* Function (adaption): Why is the animal performing the behaviour? How a behaviour contributes to the animal’s fitness (survival and reproduction)
* Evolution (phylogeny): How has this behaviour evolved throughout the species existence? Comparative approach between closely related species
what was the behavioural genetics in lovebirds?
3pt
- Fischer’s lovebirds carry nesting material in their beak
- Peach-faced lovebirds carry nesting material tucked into the feathers near their tail
- Their hybird offspring tuck nesting material into their feathers but never let go of it. As a result the nesting material does not stay in place
What are the pros and cons of behavioural genetic selection?
2pt
Pro:
* Genetic selection of desired behaviour, or against an undesired behaviour, is an important means for improving animal welfare.
Con
* Indirect genetic control, environmental factors, individual variability or associated production traits may make genetic selection unsuccessful.
environment plays an important role in behaviour
What is The role of domestication on behaviour?
2pt
- Behaviours, as a rule, have not appeared or disappeared as a result of domestication, they have only been accentuated or masked through selection.
- Study of feral animals: Good evidence that domestication has not changed the basic behavioural repertoire of our domestic animal species is the fact all of our domestic species can be found surviving in the wild
What are the mechanisms regulating animal behaviour?
3pt
Internal factors
* Chemo- and mechanosensors
* Hormones
* Age, Breed, Gender
External factors
* Pheromones
* Biological clocks
* Surroundings
Central Nervous System
* Interprets external changes and internal states of the body that serve as inputs to the decision making centre
What do pheromones do?
5pt
- It only has an effect on individuals of the same specie
- Captured by the olfactory mucosa and the vomeronasal organ
- Flehmen or lipcurl response, except in dogs and pigs
- The objective is the communication between
individuals to modify the receptor’s behaviour
Produced by specialized tissues and released to the exterior
* Urine and faeces
* Skin glands
* Saliva
What do biological clocks do?
6pt
- Circadian rhythm: Behaviour and/or physiological changes that fluctuate within 24 hours
- Usually synchronized to external time signals (zeitgebers, such as light or temperature) but they can also persist in the absence of such signals
- Sleep/wake cycles (hibernation, migration)
- Growth/fat deposition
- Endocrine cycles: Seasonal breeding
- Sickness/fever: Efficacy of treatments
What are surroundings the impact behaviour?
5pt
- Predators
- Threats
- Peers
- Terrain
- Food characteristics
What do body signals do?
2pt
- Body state is maintained within a tolerable range of temperature, osmotic state, nutrient level, etc.
- When these ranges are crossed, remedial action is taken. E.g. low glucose levels triggers both physiological (mobilising energy reserves) and behavioural (eating) responses.
