chapter 34 animal behavior

(b)(a)In male stickleback fish, the stimulus for attack behavior is the red underside of an intruderWhen presented with unrealistic models, as long as some red is present, the attack behavior occursSuggest an explanation for why this behavior evolved

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Innate behavior (instinct) is developmentally fixed and under strong genetic influenceLearning is the modification of behavior based on specific experiencesHabituationHabituation is a simple form of learning that involves loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little or no informationFor example, birds will stop responding to alarm calls from their species if these are not followed by an actual attack


ImprintingImprinting is a behavior that includes learning and innate components and is generally irreversibleIt is distinguished from other learning by a sensitive periodA sensitive period is a limited developmental phase that is the only time when certain behaviors can be learnedAn example of imprinting is young geese following their motherhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg1G0OQMQ50&NR=1&feature=fvwpKonrad Lorenz showed that when baby geese spent the first few hours of their life with him, they imprinted on him as their parentConservation biologists have taken advantage of imprinting in programs to save the whooping crane from extinctionYoung whooping cranes can imprint on humans in crane suits who then lead crane migrations using ultralight aircraft

(a) Konrad Lorenz and geese(b) Pilot and cranes


Associative LearningIn associative learning, animals associate one feature of their environment with anotherFor example, a white-footed mouse will avoid eating caterpillars with specific colors after a bad experience with a distasteful monarch butterfly caterpillar

Classical conditioning is a type of associative learning in which an arbitrary stimulus is associated with a reward or punishmentFor example, a dog that repeatedly hears a bell before being fed will salivate in anticipation at the bells sound (Fig. 34-5)


Operant conditioning is a type of associative learning in which an animal learns to associate one of its behaviors with a reward or punishmentIt is also called trial-and-error learningFor example, a rat that is fed after pushing a lever will learn to push the lever in order to receive foodFor example, a predator may learn to avoid a specific type of prey associated with a painful experience

Operant conditioning. Having received face full of quills, a young coyote has probably learned to avoid porcupines.


Behavioral RhythmsSome animal behavior is affected by the animals circadian rhythm, a daily cycle of rest and activityBehaviors such as migration and reproduction are linked to changing seasons, or a circannual rhythmSome behaviors are linked to lunar cyclesFor example, courtship in fiddler crabs occurs during the new and full moon


MigrationMigration is a regular, long-distance change in locationAnimals can orient themselves usingThe position of the sun and their circadian clock, an internal 24-hour clock that is an integral part of their nervous systemThe position of the North StarThe Earths magnetic field


Animal Signals and CommunicationIn behavioral ecology, a signal is a behavior that causes a change in another animals behaviorCommunication is the transmission and reception of signalsAnimals communicate using visual, chemical, tactile, and auditory signalsThe type of signal is closely related to lifestyle and environmentHoneybees show complex communication with symbolic languageA bee returning from the field performs a dance to communicate information about the position of a food source

(a) Worker beesRound dance(food near)(b)Waggle dance(food distant)(c)Beehive30ACBABCLocationLocationLocation30Honeybees returning to the hive communicate the location of food sources through the symbolic language of a dance.


PheromonesMany animals that communicate through odors emit chemical substances called pheromonesPheromones are effective at very low concentrations When a minnow or catfish is injured, an alarm substance in the fishs skin disperses in the water, inducing a fright response among fish in the area

Minnows before alarmare widely dispersed inan aquarium.(a)Minnows after the alarmaggregate near thebottom of the aquariumand reduce theirmovement(b)


Cognition and Problem SolvingCognition is a process of knowing that may include awareness, reasoning, recollection, and judgmentFor example, experiments with honeybees shows that they can distinguish same from differentProblem solving is the process of devising a strategy to overcome an obstacleFor example, chimpanzees can stack boxes in order to reach suspended foodSome animals learn to solve problems by observing other individualsFor example, young chimpanzees learn to crack palm nuts with stones by copying older chimpanzeeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N34Fcn3J00

Male Competition for Mates Male competition for mates is a source of intrasexual selection that can reduce variation among malesSuch competition may involve agonistic behavior, an often ritualized contest that determines which competitor gains access to a resourcehttp://www.myspace.com/video/vid/1627576917 (kangaroos boxing)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6CCi2GUkrI (timber rattler combat)

*Figure 51.1 Why do cranes dance?*Figure 51.2 A male silky anole with dewlap extended*Figure 51.3 Sign stimuli in a classic fixed action pattern

*Figure 51.10 Imprinting*Figure 51.12 Operant conditioning

*Figure 51.8 Honeybee dance language*Figure 51.9 Minnows responding to the presence of an alarm substance*Figure 51.13 A young chimpanzee learning to crack oil palm nuts by observing an experienced elder*Figure 51.25 Agonistic interaction

chapter 34 animal behavior

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