BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO
THE ENVIRONMENT
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• BEHAVIORAL BIOLOGISTS STUDY THE ACTIONS
OF ANIMALS IN THEIR NATURAL
ENVIRONMENTS
– ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
• WHAT AN ANIMAL DOES WHEN INTERACTING WITH ITS
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING:
– BEHAVIORAL BIOLOGY
• THE STUDY OF ANIMAL
BEHAVIOR
– THIS LEFT AN
UNANSWERED QUESTION,
HOW DID THE DIGGER
WASP DEVELOP THIS
BEHAVIOR?
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• BEHAVIOR RESULTS FROM BOTH GENES AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
– NATURE VS NURTURE DEBATE
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• INNATE BEHAVIOR OFTEN APPEARS AS FIXED
ACTION PATTERNS
– INNATE BEHAVIOR (BORN WITH IT)
• BEHAVIOR THAT APPEARS TO BE PERFORMED IN
VIRTUALLY THE SAME WAY BY ALL INDIVIDUALS OF A
SPECIES
– FIXED ACTION PATTERNS
• ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGEABLE BEHAVIORAL SEQUENCES
– EXAMPLE: MEMORIZE A POEM OR PIECE OF MUSIC, BUT YOU
MUST START FROM THE BEGINNING IF INTERUPTED
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• FIXED ACTION PATTERN 
– GRAYLAY GOOSE
• MUST COMPLETE RETRIEVAL
SEQUENCE, EVEN IF IT DROPS
THE EGG BEFORE IT REPLACES
IT
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
TYPE
• LEARNING LEARNING
HABITUATION
RANGES
IMPRINTING
FROM
SIMPLE
ASSOCIATION
BEHAVIORAL
CHANGES
IMITATION
TO COMPLEX
PROBLEM SOLVING
PROBLEM
SOLVING
DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC
LOSS OF A RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS
AFTER REPEATED EXPOSURE
LEARNING THAT IS IRREVERSIBLE AND
LIMITED TO A SENSITIVE TIME PERIOD
IN AN ANIMAL’S LIFE
BEHAVIORAL CHANGE RESULTING FROM
A LINK BETWEEN A BEHAVIOR AND A
REWARD OR PUNISHMENT
LEARNING BY OBSERVING AND
MIMICKING OTHERS
INVENTIVE BEHAVIOR THAT ARISES IN
RESPONSE TO A NEW SITUATION
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• CLASSICAL CONDITIONING VS OPERANT
CONDITIONING
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS TO THE
ENVIRONMENT
• ALRIGHT, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…LET’S GET TO
SOME ANATOMY!!!!