Organism Behavior Notes
What is Behavior? The response an organism (or group of organisms) have towards their environment is called
“behavior.” In the wild there is both ____________________________ and ____________________________
-Example of individual behavior: hunting, _______________________________________, sleeping habits, etc.
-Example of group behavior:__________________________, flocking, schools of fish, etc.
Behavior lets organisms respond rapidly and adaptively to their environment. Usually in a beneficial way.
Examples? 1. ______________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________ 3.
_______________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________
Why is behavior important and how does it work?
Detecting and responding to stimuli is key to an individual’s survival. There are two types of stimuli:
________________________________ tell an animal what is occurring in its own body. Examples: hunger, thirst
________________________________ give an animal information about its surroundings. Sound, sight, changes in day
length or temperature
Specialized cells that are sensitive to stimuli detect sensory information. This information is transferred to the
_____________________________________, and the nervous system may activate other systems in response. Animal
behaviors help to ___________________________________________________________
What type of behavior relates to movement?
There are two examples of movement-related behaviors:
Kinesis is an increase in _______________________________________________. -Example: Pill bugs increase activity
as they dry out to find moist areas
Taxis is movement in a particular direction either ___________________________________________________________
-Example: plants growing toward light, deer running away from rustling in the brush
When do particular behaviors occur?
Internal and external stimuli usually interact to trigger specific behaviors. Most behaviors are a response to both
internal and external stimuli. Combination, not just one stimuli. _____________________________________________
___________________________________.
Example: Green anole reproductive behavior is triggered by internal and external stimuli. External: males become
aggressive and court females. Internal: females __________________________________ that make females receptive
Some behaviors occur in cycles. A circadian rhythm is the daily cycle of activity .It occurs over
______________________ and is run by a biological clock.
Behaviors may occur daily, monthly, seasonally, or annually.
-During hibernation, an animal enters a _____________________________________________.
-During migration, _________________________________________ from one portion of their range to another.
What is an “instinct” ?
An instinct is a complex inborn behavior. Instinctive behaviors share several characteristics. Innate, _______________
________________________________________________________, and relatively inflexible
Why would instincts be necessary? Baby Swimming Reflex (turtle example.) Many behaviors have both innate and
learned components.
Imprinting is an example of ____________________________________________. Imprinting: when an organism copies
behavior they observe, usually shortly after their birth Example: Graylag geese imprint 12 hours after hatching: they
learn to _____________________________________________________________. Scientists who work with these
geese have to be careful not to let hatchlings imprint on them instead of their geese parents.
Imitation: When organisms copy behaviors they see displayed by others. Examples: young male songbirds learn songs
by listening to adult males. __________________________________________________, snow monkeys and potatowashing behavior…younger teaches older
Conditioning: The behavior of an organism is not constant: it can change depending on the ____________________
______________________. Conditioning describes the way an organism’s behavior changes based on whether the
behavior results in ___________________________________________ outcome. There are two types of conditioning:
1. Classical conditioning: previously _______________________________ associated with behavior triggered.
Example: Ivan Pavlov and salivating dog
2. Operant conditioning: behavior increased or decreased by positive or negative __________________________.
Example: B.F. Skinner and “Skinner boxes”
All behaviors have benefits and costs
The benefits of a behavior are ______________________________ (# of individuals that survive from one year to the
next) and reproduction rates. Both increase an individual’s fitness; favored by natural selection. ___________________
Behavioral costs can be divided into three categories 1. _______________________________: energy not available for
other tasks 2. opportunity costs: time spent cannot be used on another task 3. _____________________: need food but
risk getting eaten
Animals perform behaviors whose benefits outweigh their costs. Behaviors evolve only if they
_______________________________. Territoriality refers to the control of a specific area.
Living in groups also has benefits and costs. Social behaviors evolve when the benefits of group living outweigh its
costs. benefits: improved foraging, reproductive assistance, reduced predation costs: ________________________
_____________________________________ ____________________________________.
Are humans more intelligent than other animals? Insight is the ability to solve a problem mentally without
________________________________________. Observed in primates, dolphins, and corvids. Cognitive ability may
provide an adaptive advantage for living in social groups. Intelligence in animals seems to be correlated with two
characteristics. 1. Relatively _________________ for their body size 2. The animals live in complex social groups
Cultural behavior spreads through a population by learning, not by selection .It is taught to one generation by another
and aided by _____________________________.