Animal Behavior

Behavior - any action that can be observed and described.
Ethology - the scientific study of animal behavior

44.1 Nature vs. Nuture: Genetic Influences

Studies of animal behavior often focuses on what behaviors are genetically based and what is learned (Nature vs. Nurture)
Examples: Lovebirds, garter snakes, twin studies in humans (showed genetic basis for many behaviors)

44.2 Nature vs Nutures: Environmental Influences

Learning - change in behavior as a result of experience

• Imprinting
• Classical Conditioning (Pavlov's Dogs)
• Operant Conditioning (Skinner Box)

44.3 Adaptive Mating Behavior

Sexual Selection - type of evolutionary selection that increases an animal's ability to mate and produce offspring

Female Choice - females invest more in the offspring, tend to be choosier about their mates, this influences male behavior and evolution

• Good Genes Hypothesis - females choose mates based on traits that improve chance of survival
• Runaway Hypothesis - as a result of female choice, traits in males become exaggerated (peacock feathers)
• Male competition - males will compete for access to females, leads to dominance heirarchies and territoriality

44.4 Sociobiology and Animal Behavior (studies social behavior in animals)

Altruism vs Self Interest - altruism has the potential to decrease lifetime reproductive success of an individual, but benefits the success of family members (army ants, honeybees, wolf packs) - kin selection & inclusive fitness

Reciprocal Altruism - offspring or close relatives help each other raise offspring

44.5 Animal Communication

• Chemical (pheremones)
• Auditory
• Visual
• Tactile (touch)