Behavioral Behavioral EcologyEcology

Studies how behavior is Studies how behavior is controlled and how it controlled and how it

develops, evolves, and develops, evolves, and contributes to an contributes to an

organism’s survival and organism’s survival and reproductive success.reproductive success.

Ethology: study of Ethology: study of behaviorbehavior

Behavior: what an animal does and Behavior: what an animal does and how it does ithow it does it

Proximate questions: Proximate questions: HowHow environmental stimuli trigger a response environmental stimuli trigger a response Genetic, physiological, and anatomical Genetic, physiological, and anatomical

mechanisms underlying a behaviormechanisms underlying a behavior

Ultimate questions:Ultimate questions: Evolutionary concern about the Evolutionary concern about the

behaviorbehavior WhyWhy does it increase survival and does it increase survival and

reproductionreproduction

Fixed Action PlanFixed Action Plan (FAP): sequence (FAP): sequence

of unlearned, of unlearned, innate behaviors innate behaviors - unchangeable- unchangeable

Once initiated, it Once initiated, it is usually carried is usually carried to completionto completion

A FAP: triggered A FAP: triggered by external by external sensory stimulus sensory stimulus (sign stimulus)(sign stimulus)

LE 51-4LE 51-4

ImprintingImprinting Irreversible Irreversible

learning learning Occurs during Occurs during

a sensitive a sensitive period during period during developmentdevelopment

Innate: geneticInnate: genetic Environment Environment

provides provides imprinting imprinting stiumulusstiumulus

HabituationHabituation

Loss of Loss of responsiveness responsiveness to unimportant to unimportant stimulistimuli

Behavior result from a Behavior result from a complex interaction complex interaction between between geneticgenetic and and environmentalenvironmental factors factors

Innate behavior: genetic Innate behavior: genetic factorsfactors

Signal and PhermonesSignal and Phermones

Signal: causes a change in another’s Signal: causes a change in another’s behaviorbehavior

Communication: transmission, Communication: transmission, reception and response to signalreception and response to signal

LearningLearning

Experience Experience based based

Change in Change in behaviorbehavior

Associative learning: Associative learning: recognizing that one recognizing that one

stimulus is linked with stimulus is linked with anotheranother Classical Classical

conditioningconditioning An autonomic An autonomic

response response becomes becomes associated with a associated with a novel stimulusnovel stimulus

Innate stimulus Innate stimulus (food) is linked to (food) is linked to a learned a learned stimulus (bell)stimulus (bell)

Operant ConditioningOperant Conditioning A voluntary A voluntary

action becomes action becomes associated with associated with its consequencesits consequences

an arbitrary an arbitrary stimulus is stimulus is associated with a associated with a reward or reward or punishmentpunishment

Trial and error Trial and error learninglearning

Social BehaviorSocial Behavior

Natural selection favors behaviors Natural selection favors behaviors that increase survival and that increase survival and reproductive successreproductive success

Courtship and parental Courtship and parental investmentinvestment

Parenting Parenting increase increase survivorshipsurvivorship

Selection of Selection of mates: ensures mates: ensures that favorable that favorable traits are passed traits are passed to offspringsto offsprings

Social interaction depend Social interaction depend on communicationon communication

TransmissioTransmission, reception n, reception and and response to response to signalsignal

PheromonesPheromones: chemical : chemical signalsignal

AltruismAltruism Decreases Decreases

individual individual fitness, but fitness, but increases the increases the fitness of othersfitness of others

If If relatedrelated individuals help individuals help each other, its each other, its keep their gene keep their gene in the populationin the population