Animal BehaviorAnimal Behavior

BehaviorBehavior is the way is the way an organism reacts to an organism reacts to changes in its internal changes in its internal condition or external condition or external environment. environment.

A A stimulusstimulus is any kind is any kind of signal that carries of signal that carries information & can be information & can be detected. Examples of detected. Examples of stimuli include stimuli include hunger, hunger, phone ringing, alarm phone ringing, alarm clocks.clocks.

Your reaction to this Your reaction to this stimulus is called a stimulus is called a responseresponse. Many . Many organ systems can organ systems can combine to provide a combine to provide a response. response.

Behaviors can be Behaviors can be inheritedinherited or learned. or learned. Those that are inherited Those that are inherited typically increase the typically increase the survival of that organism. survival of that organism. The fight, flight, or fright The fight, flight, or fright behaviors are examples behaviors are examples of inherited behaviors. of inherited behaviors.

InnateInnate behaviors behaviors appear in fully appear in fully functional form the functional form the first time they are first time they are performed even with performed even with no prior experience. no prior experience. An example of this is An example of this is a baby nursinga baby nursing. . Many animals show Many animals show Fixed Action Fixed Action Patterns Patterns – behavioral – behavioral sequences triggered sequences triggered by specific stimuli.by specific stimuli.

Types of BehaviorsTypes of Behaviors

1) Competitive – agonistic & dominance 1) Competitive – agonistic & dominance hierarchies, territorialhierarchies, territorial

2)Foraging – finding/eating food2)Foraging – finding/eating food

3) Migratory3) Migratory

4) Biological rhythms – circadian rhythms4) Biological rhythms – circadian rhythms

5) Communication5) Communication

6) Courting/Nurturing6) Courting/Nurturing

7) Cooperative – altruistic & kin selection 7) Cooperative – altruistic & kin selection (family members help out relatives)(family members help out relatives)

LearnedLearned behaviors behaviors are acquired. There are acquired. There are 4 types of these:are 4 types of these:

1) 1) HabituationHabituation- - simplest type – the simplest type – the animal decreases or animal decreases or stops behavior in stops behavior in response to a response to a repetitive stimulus –repetitive stimulus –loss of response to a loss of response to a stimulus - Chicken stimulus - Chicken Little’s friends, Boy Little’s friends, Boy Who Cried WolfWho Cried Wolf

2) 2) Classical conditioningClassical conditioning - making a mental - making a mental connection between a stimulus & reward or connection between a stimulus & reward or punishment – Pavlov’s dogpunishment – Pavlov’s dog

3) 3) Operant Operant conditioningconditioning - - repeated practice – repeated practice – receives a reward or receives a reward or avoids punishment – avoids punishment – used for training- trial used for training- trial & error learning – B. & error learning – B. F. SkinnerF. Skinner

4) 4) Insight learningInsight learning - most complicated form – - most complicated form – applying old information to a new settingapplying old information to a new setting

ImprintingImprinting is learning is learning based on early based on early experience. Once it experience. Once it has occurred, the has occurred, the behavior cannot be behavior cannot be changed. This is changed. This is often seen in often seen in birdsbirds who follow the first who follow the first moving object they moving object they see & in singing or see & in singing or salmonsalmon who can who can remember the odor of remember the odor of the stream where the stream where they were born. they were born.

Imprinting involves Imprinting involves both both innate & innate & learnedlearned behavior. behavior. They must learn what They must learn what object to follow. This object to follow. This process involves process involves scent & scent & sightsight..

Patterns of BehaviorPatterns of Behavior

Animals respond to Animals respond to seasons & to daily seasons & to daily changes. Some changes. Some animals animals hibernatehibernate in in the winter or the winter or estivateestivate in the summer. This in the summer. This allows them to allows them to become dormant become dormant when conditions may when conditions may be harsh.be harsh.

MigrationMigration is the is the periodic movement periodic movement from 1 place to from 1 place to another. Species that another. Species that do this include do this include butterflies, birds, butterflies, birds, whales, & sea whales, & sea turtles.turtles. Migration Migration helps animals to have helps animals to have more plentiful food more plentiful food supplies & to escape supplies & to escape predators more predators more easily.easily.

Animal MigrationAnimal Migration

Spatial learning Spatial learning – use of landmarks to – use of landmarks to learn the layout of the environmentlearn the layout of the environment

Animals use cues such as physical Animals use cues such as physical boundaries (whales), chemistry (salmon), boundaries (whales), chemistry (salmon), magnetism (whales & birds), & stars magnetism (whales & birds), & stars (birds).(birds).

HomingHoming is the ability is the ability of an animal to return of an animal to return to its original nest to its original nest site, burrow, or site, burrow, or migratory grounds. migratory grounds. This is done through This is done through 2 main types of 2 main types of navigation methods. navigation methods.

Circadian rhythmsCircadian rhythms occur in daily cycles. It may occur in daily cycles. It may involve sleep patterns or patterns of activity & involve sleep patterns or patterns of activity & rest. rest.

CourtshipCourtship behaviors behaviors help animals find help animals find healthy mates. An healthy mates. An animal sends out animal sends out visual, sound, or visual, sound, or chemical signals to chemical signals to attract a mate. attract a mate.

SocialSocial behavior is often behavior is often used to help the survival of used to help the survival of that species & to make the that species & to make the organisms more efficient. organisms more efficient. Often, there is a division-of-Often, there is a division-of-labor setup & most, if not labor setup & most, if not all, of the organisms are all, of the organisms are related to one another. related to one another. Therefore, by sticking Therefore, by sticking together, it increases the together, it increases the chances that those chances that those genesgenes of the individual (which are of the individual (which are also in the collective group) also in the collective group) go on to future generations. go on to future generations.

Examples of social Examples of social animals include animals include primates, bees, & primates, bees, & wolves.wolves.

Many animals have a specific area they Many animals have a specific area they occupy called their occupy called their territoryterritory & will & will sometimes violently defend this area. sometimes violently defend this area. These areas contain resources, habitats, These areas contain resources, habitats, & mates. & mates. CompetitionCompetition may result if may result if another animal invades this territory & another animal invades this territory & displays of displays of aggressionaggression are often common. are often common.

Animals can communicate through Animals can communicate through visual, visual, sound, touch, or chemicalsound, touch, or chemical signals. signals.

An example of a visual signal is An example of a visual signal is the the peacock’s tailpeacock’s tail. .

An example of a chemical signal is An example of a chemical signal is the the use of pheromones.use of pheromones.

An example of a sound signal is An example of a sound signal is a dog a dog barking.barking.

An example of a language signal is An example of a language signal is dolphin chatter.dolphin chatter.