AP Biology Animal Behavior

study of animal behavior and its relationship to its evolutionary origins - what an animal does and how

immediate, genetic, physiological, neurological, and developmental mechanisms that determine how an individual behaves

evolutionary pressures that have fashioned an animal's behavior

studied communication in honeybees and described the waggle dance

studied imprinting in goslings

fixed action pattern studies

innate, developmentally fixed, "built in", triggered by stimulus, reflexes/instincts, automatic from birth

acquired, modified by experience, variable, triggered by stimulus, habits/reasoning, some genetic predisposition

instinct fixed action patterns (FAPs) imprinting associative learning trial-and-error learning (operant conditioning) spatial learning habituation observational learning insight

instinct, fixed action pattern, imprinting

inclination towards a behavior example: newly hatched turtles walk towards the ocean; human babies exhibit many instinctual reflexes; in mammals, offspring care is innate

initiated by a sign stimulus; follows a regular, unvarying pattern that will be carried out to completion even if the original intent can no longer be fulfilled example: graylag goose will roll eggs back to nest; even if it loses "grip" on the egg, it will complete the rolling motion example: male stickleback fish will attack anything with a red underside

innate and learned; specific behavior is acquired when the stimulus is experienced during the critical period. once acquired, the behavior is irreversible example: graylag goslings will accept any moving object as their mother on the first day of life example: salmon imprint the odor of their birthplace so they can return to breed

a limited time interval during the life of an animal where it is sensitive to optimal imprinting

associative learning, trial-and-error learning, spatial learning, habituation, observational learning, insight/critical thinking

classical conditioning; an animal recognizes that two or more events are connecting example: Pavlov's dogs salivate in response to a ringing bell, B.F. Skinner rats

operant conditioning; basis of punishment and reward systems; animal connects its own behavior with a particular environmental response example: BF Skinner and the rats in the shockbox

loss of an acquired behavior; the behavior no longer elicits the expected response

occurs when the animal associates attributes of a location (landmarks) with the reward it gains by being able to identify and return to that location example: wasps use pinecones or other landmarks to remember the location of the nest

animal learns to disregard meaningless stimuli; "cry-wolf" effect example: sea anemones and food OR you don't feel your clothes

animals copy the behavior of another animal without having experienced any prior positive reinforcement with the behavior example: octopus grabs red ball after watching a trained octopus grab a red ball

an animal, exposed to a new situation and without prior relevant experience, performs a behavior that generates a desirable outcome

some behaviors appear to be learned but are actually innate, they just require a specific age to be attainable example: birds can fly on their first try as long as their wings and feathers are formed enough to sustain flight

occur when animals encounter dangerous situations: 1.

fight-or-flight response 2. avoidance response 3. alarm response

innate behavior in response to producing offspring; fitness of an individual depends on successful rearing of offspring

often require responses to visual and chemical stimuli: 1. flower color and scent 2. fruit color 3. body scents 4.

herds, flocks, schools, packs 5. search images

animals move to seek food or shelter, avoid danger, or seek mates. they use kinesis, taxis, migration

undirected change of speed of movement in response to a stimulus - the animal slows down or speeds up to remain in favorable environments for a longer period of time

directed movement in response to a stimulus, either toward or away from the stimulus

response to light

response to chemicals

long-distance, seasonal movement of animals, usually in response to seasonal availability of food or degradation of environmental conditions

biological clock; pattern of physiological or behavioral activity aligned with a 24-hour cycle in a day

active during the day and sleep at night

active at night and sleep during the day

produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness; regulates biological clock in humans

extended period of sleep, dormancy, or other torpid state to avoid hostile environmental conditions. reduce energy by lowering body temperatures and minimizing metabolic maintenance activities

dormancy during summers or hot/dry weather; protection from desiccation (drying out) by burrowing into mud or retreating underground.

often occur during spring season, when warmer weather and an abundance of food arrive

chemical, visual, auditory, tactile

pheromones - some elicit response when smelled, others when they are eaten. alarm and sex pheromones are included.

many visual displays are observed during acts of aggression or during courtship

bird song, insect song - used for mating, species identification, genetically coded

common in social bonding, infant care, grooming, mating

agonistic behavior, dominance hierarchies, pecking order, territoriality, eusocial societies, altruistic behavior

involves aggression and submission, and originates from competition for food, mates, or territory

indicate power and status relationships among individuals in a group; minimize fighting for food and mates

linear order of status often used to describe dominance hierarchies in chickens

active possession and defense of territory in which an animal or group of animals lives; ensure inhabitants adequate food and a place to mate and rear their young

consists of members divided into castes; individual castes have different jobs - foraging, feed/care for young, protection of colony, etc.

seemingly unselfish behavior that appears to reduce the fitness of an individual; increases inclusive fitness; occurs by kin selection - a form of natural selection that increases inclusive fitness

fitness of an individual plus the fitness of relatives, who share a percentage of identical genes with the altruist

selection of mates by particular traits; usually females choose males

Female mates with more than one male

Male mates with more than one female