Normal Behaviour

Question 1

What does ethology mean?

Answer 1

” scientific study of the behaviour of animals in their normal environment”

Question 2

Why study animal behaviour

Answer 2

~identify behavioural problems
~understand the reasons behind behaviours
~gain greater understanding of the species and how they interact
~improve animals lives in captivity
~improve breeding programmes, particularly in captivity
~conservation purposes
~understand how they interact in the wild

Question 3

Nicolaas tinbergen 1907-1988

Answer 3

He was a Dutch British zoologist and ethologist and was known for doing his research under natural conditions
He theorised the presence of instinctive and learned behaviours were equal to survival
He did studies on seagulls, leading to important generalisations on courtship and mating behaviours

Question 4

Tinbergens 4 questions

Answer 4

1. Causation~ what causes an animal to exhibit a particular behaviour? What mechanisms underline the behaviour? What is its motivation
2. Development~how did a particular behaviour over the course of the animals lifetime?
3. Function~why does an animal exhibit a particular behaviour? What is the survival value?
4. Evolution~how did evolution produce this particular behaviour?

Question 5

What is an ethogram

Answer 5

An ethogram is a list of behaviours shown by an animal