Honors Biology Chapter 3 – The Process of Science: Studying Animal Behavior
p. 46 – 65
Concept 3.1: Biologist study Behavior through Observations and Experiments
I. Asking Questions about Behavior
A. Discovery science leads to hypothesis science
1. Ex. Humpback whales and bubble blowing behavior (read p. 48-49)
2. Problem: Hypo science difficult to do with animal behavior
(Size, space, care, etc. may be impractical)
a. Can still do this type of science in wild (Read p. 49-Jane Goodall)
b. Must often observe behaviors in natural environments.
II. Designing Experiments on Animal Behavior – read p. 50
A.Ex. Digger wasp study
III. Immediate and Ultimate Causes of Behavior
A. “How” questions – directed to immediate causes of behavior
1. An explanation in terms of orgs immediate interactions with the environment
2. Ex. Arrangement of landmarks is how wasp finds the nest
B. “Why” questions – directed to ultimate causes of behavior
1. Why do organisms act as they do?
2. Based on orgs evolutionary adaptations
a. How did adaptation come about?
b. What is the function of the behavior?
C. Contrasting Example:
1. Touch hot object, draw hand away.
a. Immediate cause – reaction of nervous system and effect on your muscles
b. Ultimate cause – natural selection has favored this response (prevents excess tissue
damage.)
Concept 3.2: Experiments show both Genes and Environment Affect Behavior
(“Nature vs. Nurture” Controversy)
I. Innate Behaviors
A. Def. Behaviors performed correctly by all members of the species, even if no previous experience
with the behavior.
1. “Born knowing”
2. Ex. Digger wasps all build nests same way, even if raised in isolation
Ex. Bird nest building behavior
B. Not completely isolated from environment, though
1. Ex. Wasp: needs right sandy nest building site, proper nutrition to grow up strong enough to
build nest, physical skills must be developed to build the nest, etc.
C. Fixed Action Pattern (FAP) = innate behavior that occurs in an unchangeable sequence of actions
1. Ex. Graying goose and egg retrieval (read p. 54)
2. Performed as complete “script” from start to finish
3. Triggered by a specific stimulus
4. Do not need to be practiced to get it right
5. Often related to reproductive or feeding of young behaviors = species survival advantage if
don’t need to practice!
II. Rhythms of Behavior
A. Great variety of rhythmic behaviors = regularly repeated
1. Ex Animal migrations with season changes, daytime vs. nighttime sleep patterns, human “jet
lag”
2. Usually combinations of genetics and environmental cues
3. Specific study: flying squirrels (read p. 55)
a. Circadian rhythm = innate rhythms within a 24 hour period
III. How to study the interaction of genes and experience – Read Case study p. 56 on Lovebird nest building
Concept 3.3: Learning is Behavior based on Experience
I. Learning = change in an animal’s behavior resulting from experience
A. Ex. Learn not to touch hot objects after the first burn experience
B. Types of learning:
1. Habituation = learning not to respond to a repeated stimulus that conveys little or no
important info.
a. Ex. Ignore ticking of clock though sense organs still detect it
b. Ex. Hydra touch response, crow scarecrow response (p.57)
c. Benefits animals? Maybe allows them to focus N.S. on more important stimuli
1.) Exs. Food, mates, real danger
2. Imprinting = learning limited to a specific time period in life = critical learning period, and
usually irreversible
a. has learned and unlearned components
b. Ex. Bond formation between 2 animals, often newborn and parent
1.) Graylag Goose study (read p. 58)
a.) critical learning period – within first 2 days of hatching
3. Conditioning = learning a particular stimulus or response is linked to a reward or punishment
a. Ex. Dog responses to commands, cat coming when they hear can opener, etc.
b. Classical conditioning = learning to respond to a rather meaningless stimulus b/c
connect it with a reward/punishment
1.) Ex. Pavlov and salivating dog examples (see fig. 3-12, p. 59)
c. Operant conditioning (trial and error learning) = animal learns to associate a
positive or negative effect with one of its own acts
1.)will purposely repeat for reward/ purposely avoid for punishment
2.) Ex. Coyote and porcupine
3.) Often reinforces behaviors for survival
4.) Common in predator-prey rlshps.
4. Insight = innovation = respond to new situation without w/o previous experience
a. involves analysis of problem and testing of solutions
b. Ex. Octopus and food in jar (read p. 60)
c. Ex. Chimp in room trying to reach banana
d. Not really learning, but can contribute to learning, and may result from prior learning
in similar experiences
5. Play Behavior = using adult skills in a playful manner
a. Ex. Young foxes “stalking” and “pouncing” on siblings/parents
b. Purpose of play behavior? – 2 hypotheses (read p. 61)
Concept 3.4: Social behaviors are important Adaptations in many Species
(Many animals live in social groups, Social Behaviors = interactions b/t 2 or more members of same species)
I. Competitive Behaviors = involve conflicts for food, space, mates, etc.
A. Agressive Behaviors = actual physical struggles, or threatening behaviors
1. Ex (can you think of any?)
2. Dominance Hierarchies = ranking of individuals into orders of importance
a. Ex. “Peck Order” in Chickens
b. Once hierarchy set, no longer waste time on it, can concentrate on finding food, etc.
B. Territorial Behavior = when animal defends an area, often excluding members of the same species,
for purposes of feeding, mating, etc.
1.Ex. Song birds sing, bellowing of male sea lions, cheetahs “marking” with urine
C. Courtship Behavior = courtship ritual = elaborate physical displays prior to mating
1. May: confirm same species, opposite gender, ready to mate and even that other is not a threat
2. Ex. Peacock males feather displays
3. Result of natural selection refining courtship rituals to improve reprod. Success
4. Ex. Case study of barn swallow tail length
D. Communication = forms of signaling that make social behaviors possible
1. Types: sounds, odors, visual displays, touches
2. Ex. Honey bee communication – Read p. 65
- more complex animal societies have more complex communications
E. Cooperation = individuals work together in ways beneficial to whole group
1. Ex. Honey bee society, “Wolf pack” hunting, herd animals making rings to defend young, etc.