Unit IV: Behavioral Ecology Flashcards
Behavioral ecology
the study of behavioral adaptation, and the selective pressures that yield them, in different ecological environments
Ernest Mayr
described two general categories of questions related to biological causation of behaviors
What were the two categories of questions by Mayr?
- Proximate causation (how?)
- Ultimate causation (why?)
Proximate causation (how?)
Understanding external and internal stimuli: responsible for particular behavior/driving the behavior
eg. do _____ make the decision to _____
Ultimate causation (why?)
Understanding the value of behavior for survival/reproduction (fitness)
eg. how does ______ contribute to fitness
What are the categories of behavior?
- Innate behavior
- Learned behavior
- Reflex action
- Kinesis
- taxis
- Fixed action pattern
Innate behavior
instinctual behavior that is not altered by changes in environment typically
- strong genetic component
- born with behavior “hard wired” no matter the environment
Learned behavior
behavior that responds to changes in the environment
- can still have a genetic component
- more flexible; can change quickly
Reflex action
action in response to direct physical stimulation of a nerve (usually innate)
behavior
change in activity of an organism in response to a stimulus
ethnology
biological study of animal behavior
Kinesis
undirected movement of an organism in response to a stimulus (e.g. insects move quick in high temps)
Taxis
directed movement in response to a stimulus (e.g. moth to a flame)
- can be negative (away from stimulus) or positive (towards stimulus)
- stimulus can be light, gravity, chemicals
Fixed action pattern
series of instinctual behaviors that, once initiated, always goes to completion regardless of changes in the environment
- not going to change, behavior will always be the same
- needs specifics (e.g. Stickleback fish attacked red)
Migration
long-range seasonal movement of animal species
- tied to resource availability or habitat preference (temp)
Is Migration innate or learned by its peers?
Obligate (done every season) migration is considered innate
- shaped by natural selection
Facultative migration is done only when it is optimal given conditions
What are the two ways of learning?
- Non-associative learning
- Associative (conditioned) learning
Non-associative learning
the stimulus is not directly associated with punishment or reward
What are the two types of Non-associative learning?
- Habituation
- Imprinting
Habituation
ability of a species to ignore repeated stimuli that have no consequence
(e.g. pigeons/squirrels in the city)
Imprinting
identification of parents by newborns as the first organism they see after birth
What are the 3 types of Associative (conditioned) learning?
- Classical conditioning
- Operate conditioning
- Cognitive learning
Conditioned behavior (Associative learning)
behavior that becomes associated with a specific stimulus through conditioning
Classical conditioning
association of a specific stimulus and response through conditioning
Operant conditioning
learned behaviors in response to positive and/or negative reinforcement (e.g. getting a treat)
Cognitive learning
knowledge and skills acquired by the manipulation of information in the mind (e.g. evident in humans and other primates)
Are organism with no cognitive learning able to solve abstract problems?
Yes (e.g. rats solving mazes, crows solving multi-step puzzles to get food)
Animal communication
process in which a signal from one individual modifies the behavior of a recipient individual
Signal
method of communication between animals including those obtained by the sense of smell, hearing, sight, or tough
What is the criteria for a signal?
- Information-containing behavior or characteristic
- Evolved at least in part to convey information
What is the selection of a type of signal with efficient transmission determined on?
the environment and physiology of receiver
Courtship display
visual display (signal) to attract a mate
Aggressive display
visual display (signal) by a species member to discourage other members of the same species or different species
Distraction display
visual display (signal) used to distract predators aways from a nesting site
Deceitful communication
Signaler is attempting to exploit the receiver
What is the reason behind successful deceitful signals?
negative frequency dependent: works best when relatively rare in population
What occurs when honest signalers are more common?
- Natural selection favors individuals that are rewarded by behaving with “normal” response
- Deceitful signalers are successful
What occurs when deceitful signalers are most common?
- Natural selection favors individuals that are able to detect and avoid/punish cheaters
Territoriality
when individuals defend an area, usually involving resources
Anolis lizards (carolinensis)
- Signal: pattern changing
- Breeding season: early spring
- Males: establish and defend territories, display behaviors
- Females: select among potential mates
- Information can be sex specific (convey different info to males and females
Territory
an area that is actively defended and provides exclusive or semi-exclusive use of resource
Ritualized, sequential assessment
the theme/order of things before a fight or walking away
Do displays before fight for territory or walk away tend to be honest signals or deceitful signals of their size and strength?
Honest signals, it cannot be fakes
- Favored by selection on receivers
Do displays involved a degree of coordination or cooperation between the two or is it instinctual?
They involve a degree of coordination/cooperation
- Common interest in obtaining information about each other
Is stereotypical behaviors increasing intensity, a predictable or unpredictable sequence?
Predictable
When do animals not fight over resources or territory?
When there are axes of asymmetry between rivals:
- resource holding power (one rival smaller/weaker)
- value of resource (lower for on rival based on etc.)
- ownership (non-owner less motivated to fight)
When do rivals fight?
- Rivals are closely matched
- Stakes are high for both males
- Ambiguity about the relative status of rivals (usually, one rival is convinced they are bigger than they are)
Animal Navigation
the ability of animals to accurately find their way to a location without instruments or maps
Mechanisms for animal navigation:
- Piloting
- Compass orientation
- True navigation
Piloting
use of familiar landmarks
Compass orientation
movement that is oriented in a specific direction
True navigation
ability to locate a specific place on Earth’s surface
Proximate causes: how do birds navigate?
- Visual landmark (coastline, highways, railways, etc.)
- Sun compass (circadian clock, but can be altered)
- Star compass (using the North star and multiple constellations to navigate, can also be altered)
- Geomagnetism (geomagnetic field on cloudy days, have a different view)
Circadian clock
an internal mechanism that maintains a 24-hour activity rhythm or cycle
Altruism
behaviors that have a fitness cost to the individual exhibiting the behavior and a fitness benefit to the receiver
What are the 3 natural selection ingredients of Altruism?
- Variation: (mutate allele) not everyone behave altruistically
- Heritability: (genetic component) altruism is inheritable
- More offspring produced than survive: struggle for existence
How is altruism a paradox?
traits of individuals with higher relative fitness increase in frequency over generations, so there should be a decrease in altruism, but no
Why does altruism still exist if it has low fitness?
Kin selection
Kin selection
selection that acts through benefits to relatives at the expense of the individual
Br > C
Model for spread of altruistic allele (Hamilton’s Rule):
B= benefit to recipient
r= coefficient of relatedness
C= cost of altruism
Coefficient of relatedness
measure of genetic relatedness of two individuals
Direct fitness
derived from generating offspring
Since kin share allele, the altruistic individual is receiving benefit how?
indirect fitness
Indirect fitness
Derived from helping relatives produce more offspring than they would on their own
Inclusive fitness
Inclusive fitness = direct + indirect fitness
What do altruistic individuals receives when they help non-kin?
- Delayed direct benefits
- Reciprocal altruism
Delayed direct benefits
the production of offspring in the future
(e.g. helping alpha get a mate so you move up the chain when alpha succeeds)
Reciprocal altruism
when individuals reciprocate altruistic behaviors towards those that have helped them in the past or are likely to do so in the future
What are the requirements for Reciprocal altruism?
- Recognize each other
- Repeated interactions
- Memory of past interactions
