Animal Behavior

• Ecology: The study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
• Behavior: a change in activity in response to a stimulus, and a set of adaptations for survival in a particlar envrionment
• Behavior is a product of natural selection, organisms should behave in ways that maximize fitness
• Behavioral ecology: study of ecological and evolutionary basis of behavior
• Two causes of behavioral: proximate and ultimate causation
• Proximate causation(why) : environment changes actions
• Ultimate causation(how): genes told the animal how to act
• Fixed action pattern: sequence of unlearned behaviors in response to a stimulus, unchangeable
• Migration: yearly long distance change in location, to increase reproductive sucess
• Circadian rhythms: occur over the course of a day, peak activity at particular times of the day
• crepusural: dawn and dusk
• Communication: transmission and reception of mutually recognizable signals
• Three types of communication: visual signals, auditory signals and chemical signals
• Visual signals : fast, lots of information, and indicates position of signaler
• Auditory signals: light isn't needed, transmitted over longer distances. Examples are calls( short and simple) and songs ( complex)
• There are two types of chemical signals: pheromones and scent marking
• Pheromones: signal between individuals that attract opposite sex
• Scent marking: chemicals from scent glands, urine or feces
• Learning: modification of behavior as a result of specific experiences
• Imprinting : long lasting, irreversible behavior in response of a particular individual/object, only during sensitive period
• sensitive period: only during specific times of development
• spatial learning all environments vary, memory of environment increase fitness
• Associative learning: association between experiences
• Two different types of associative learning: classical and operant conditioning
• Operant conditioning: associate behavior with reward or punishment, trial and error learning
• cognition: involved in most complex forms of learning, process of gaining knowledge and problem solving,
• social learning: learning to solve problems through observing others and imitating their behaviour
• Foraging= feeding behavior: locate, select, and hunt food. Uses less energy
• Two types components of foraging: trade offs and predition
• Trade offs: in a range of possible foods, costs and benefits determine optimal choice
• predition: spend min energy for max nutrional value, to maximize reproductive success
• Mating behavior: seeking/attracting mate, choosing potential mate, competing mate, and mate choice by femal e
• Altruism: behavior that decreases individual fitness but increases fitness of other individuals in population
• Inclusive Fitness: evolution does not distinguish between genes transmitted from parent to offspring, and those transmitted indirectly through close relatives
• Kin selection: form of natural selection that increase fitness through reproductive success of close relatives x
• Classical conditioning: association between normal process and unrelated stimulus