Animal Behavior

Mrs. Rightler

Methods of Study

Comparative psychologyEthologyBehavioral ecologySociobiology

Instinct

Basic set of behaviors present at birth

May need a triggerBehavior improves or changes

with experience

Maturation

Behavior seen after a period of development has occurred

Improvement or change not based on experience but on time

Ex. Tadpole swimming techniques

Imprinting

Konrad LorenzCritical time period ONLYYoung animal develops

attachment to another animal or object

Rapid learning

Learning

Habituation

Animal trained to ignore stimuliDog examples

Classical Conditioning

Pavlov’s dogAnimal learns to respond to

particular stimuliBasic obedience training

Instrumental Conditioning

Trial-and-error learningSkinner BoxBehavior can be “shaped”

Latent Learning

Exploratory learningNo obvious rewardHelps animal learn about its

surroundings

Insight Learning

Animal uses experiences and thinking to solve problems.

Tool usePrimates

Behavior is Controlled by:

Nervous systemEndocrine system

– Organizational effects– Activational effects

Animal Communication

Transfer of information from one animal to the other (both must be mutually adapted)

VisualAuditoryTacticleChemical

Behavioral Ecology

Habitat Selection

Two factors influence habitat choice– Physiological– Psychological

Finding Food

Foraging Behavior

Process of locating food resources

Cost vs. benefit analysis– Handling time– Nutritional value– Status value– Concentration/density

Specialists vs. Generalist

Social Behavior

Members of the same speciesUsually live full-time in groupsCan refer to predator-prey

interactions

Group Living

Animal society – stable group of individuals of the same species that have cooperative relationships outside of mating and raising young.

Invertebrates and vertebrates

Advantages to Group Life

Protection from predatorsIncrease feeding efficiencyProtection from elementsEasy access to potential mates

Mating Behavior

Disadvantages of Group Life

Competition for resourcesDiseasesParasites

Aggression

Agonistic behaviorAttacksThreat displaysMaintains territoryMaintains dominance hierarchy

Altruism

Individual sacrifices reproductive potential for the benefit of others in the group– Honeybees– Turkeys– Naked mole rats

Kin selection