This is the same power point we are using in class.

1. Ch 35 Behavioral Biology
Goals
• Define behavioral ecology.
• Explain & give examples of the following kinds of animal behavior:
• Instinct
• Fixed action patterns (FAP)
• Imprinting
• Associative learning & classical conditioning
• Trial & error learning (operant conditioning)
• Habituation
• Observational learning
• Insight
• Explain the reason for migration and list the 3 ways organisms know where to go.
• Social behavior:
• Discuss how each of the following competitive social behaviors helps organisms survive & give examples:
• Agonsitic
• Dominance hierarchies
• Territoriality
• Explain the purpose of courtship behaviors & why females are so picky about the mates they chose.
• Describe altruistic behavior & give an example.
• Communication:
• List 3 modes of communication among organisms & 2 reasons why organisms communicate.

2. Ch 35 Behavioral Biology
• Behavior – what an animal does & how it does it
• Behavioral ecology – research approach based on
expectation that animals increase their Darwinian fitness by
optimal behavior.
• Darwinian fitness – the relative contribution an individual
makes to the gene pool of the next generation.

3. Innate Behavior
• Instinct; determined by genes
– Developmentally fixed – same behavior despite env differences
inside & outside their bodies
– Fixed Action Pattern (FAP) – a sequence of behaviors, unchangable
& carried to completion
• Triggered by sign stimulus
• Ex: moths fold wings in response to ultrasonic signals of bats
• Ex: bird with egg rolling out of nest
• How do these work to enhance fitness?

4. Learning
• Experience based modification of behavior
– Most innate behaviors improve w/ experience (flying /
developmental…)
– Habituation – simple type of learning – loss of responsiveness to
stimuli that convey little or no info
• Ex: hydra stop contracting tentacles when touched repeatedly w/ out
any danger
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfu0FAAu-10&feature=related
– Imprinting – learning limited to a critical time
• Ex: zebras, geese, language, mate recognition
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGBqQyZid04

5. Learning
• Associative Learning – animals learn to associate 1 stimulus w/ another
– 2 types:
• Classical conditioning – irrelevant stim associated w/ a physiological
response (ex: bell/salivate) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP5lCleK-PM
• Operant conditioning – trial & error learning / associate behavior w/ a
reward or punishment (ex: quills of porcupine…) (skinner)
– Play – practices survival behavior, establishes social rules, gives exercise

6. Insight
• Correct behavior on 1st attempt
– “wow – that’s big! I better stay away even though I don’t know what
it is!”

7. Movement from place to place often depends
on internal coding of spatial relationships
• Cognitive maps – mental maps of spatial relationships. Ex:
bees
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ijI-g4jHg
• 2 types of movement w/ out cognitive maps:
– Kinesis – random movement & then change in activity rate in
response to a stimulus if present
– Taxis – automatic movement toward or away from a stimulus
(phototaxis – move away from light)

8. Migration Behavior
• Regular movement over long distances – usually in response
to decrease in food supply
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYM6LqDJLiM
– 3 mechanisms used to find way
• Piloting
• Orientation
• navigation

9. Social Behavior
Working together helps the entire species survive
• Competitive social behaviors:
– Agonistic – involves threatening & submissive behaviors to determine
who gets resources (Ex: wolves putting chin under others)
• Benefits of this? Winner established w/ out fighting or death
– Dominance Hierarches – rank
• Ex: chickens – determines who gets resources w/ out hurt
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg1RPCfcGZs&feature=related
– Territory – an area defended usually excluding other members of
own species.
• Benefits? Cuts down on competition, keeps population stable, benefits
outweigh E costs of defending

10. Mating Behavior
• Relates directly to animals fitness
• Courtship – sequence of actions that confirms:
– Same species but opposite sex
– In appropriate physiological condition
– Not a threat
– Moonwalking bird below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=072A5xbhO3I&feature=related
Mating dance…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dx2CUMtZ-0&feature=related
• Parental Investment – time & resources an individual must
expend to produce offspring
– Choose wisely to make it worth it / genetic quality
– Females mammals picky b/c they have high investment / males
usually have pronounced 2ndary sex characteristics due to this
• Mating systems…

11. Modes of Communication
• Pheromones – chemicals used to communicate
• Inclusive fitness – total effect an individual has on passing
its genes by having offspring & helping close relatives to
have offspring
– Kin selection – the more closely related the more strongly you’ll
defend them
• Altruistic behavior – behaviors that reduce individual
fitness but increase others fitness
– Ex: alarm calls, sterile bees, stinging worker bees die after stinging