Behavioral Ecology- Bio 1108

Communication

use of specifically designed signals or displays to modify the behavior of others

chemosensory, acoustic, visual, tactile (and vibratory)

types of communication

chemosensory

• this type of communication includes taste and smell

• used for short distances

• odorants (and pheromones) contain information that can be used to identity species, sex, reproductive state

acoustic communication

• this form of communication’s speed and distance varies with pressure and density

• males use this form of communication to attract females

  • honest signals of male quality but can also lure predators

  • Female must be able to detect the sound

dawn and dusk

times of the day where sound travels further

Water

Does sound travel 5x further in water or in air?

Anthropogenic noise

manmade noise such as city sounds

visual communication

This form of communication is based on what organisms see

• Males are often the showy sex (aggressive and reproductive settings)

tactile communication

This communication involves touch; social bonding, dominance, grooming, mating

vibrational communication

This type of communication is used in aquatic animals that is detected by their later line system

multimodal communication

the use of multiple channels (modes) of communication at once

altruism

a behavior that appears to benefit others at a cost to oneself

• tends to benefit an individual’s close relative

• indirectly promotes the spread of an organism’s genes via close relatives

kin selection

behavior that lowers an individual’s own fitness but enhances the reproductive success of relatives

reciprocal altruism

a behavior where an organism provides a benefit to another with the expectation of recieving a benefit in return at a later time

selfish behavior

this is when one animal benefits at the expense of others; examples include infanticide, preying mantis consuming its mate, and penguins pushing each other into the water to test survival

inclusive fitness

designates the total number of copies of genes passed on through own offspring and one’s relatives

coefficient of relatedness

probability that any two individuals will share a copy of a particular gene

• shown as coefficient, r

alarm calling

a widespread animal behavior where individuals emit vocal or visual signals to warn others of potential danger, often predators, and can be seen as an altruistic act, although the signaler may also benefit from the behavior. 

eusociality

the highest level of social organization, characterized by cooperative brood care, overlapping generations within a colony, and a reproductive division of labor

• ex. honey bees and ants

haploidiploidy

females are diploid and males are haploid

types of mating system

promiscuous, polygamy, polyandry, monogamous

promiscuous

both sexes have multiple mating partners

polygyny

one male commands harem of many females

polyandry

one female mates with several males; sandpiper is an example of this

monogamous

partners form lasting pair bonds

sexual dimorphism

differences in appearance, size, or other characteristics between males and females of the same species

• arises due to sexual selection; traits become more pronounced because they are favored in mate choices or competitive interactions

monogamy

one male mates with one female

• no sexual dimorphism

• biparental care

hypothesis for monogamy

mate-guarding hypothesis, male-assistance hypothesis, female-enforced monogamy hypothesis

male-guarding hypothesis

males stay with a female to protect her from being fertilized by others

male-assistance hypothesis

males remain with females to help them rear offspring- otherwise fewer offspring would survive

Female-enforced monogamy hypothesis

female interferes with male attraction other females

types of polygamy

resources based polygyny, harem mating structure, communal courting

resource based polygyny

patchy distribution of resource and female visits for resource

harem mating structure

females naturally congregate and male controls area

communal courting

males display in leks (communal courting area), females mate after males display

intersexual and intrasexual

two forms of sexual selection

intersexual sexual selection

This sexual selection is where a member of one sex chooses mate based on certain characteristics

• female mate choice (normally)

• often based on plumage color or courtship displays

intrasexual sexual selection

This sexual selection members of one sex compete for partners and the winner gets most of the matings

• mate competition between individuals through fighting or sparring

• females mate with competitively superior males

• male-male competition produces males substantially larger than females

  • small males can still father offspring by intercepting females

ethology

the study of behavior

behavior

change in activity of an organism in response to a stimulus

innate behavior

strong genetic component, independent of environment, “hard-wired”

learned behaviors

result from environmental conditioning, flexible and dynamic

types of innate behaviors

reflex action, kinesis, taxis, fixed action pattern, migration

reflex action

involuntary and rapid response to stimulus

kinesis

the undirected movement in response to a stimulus

taxis

the directed movement towards or away from a stimulus

fixed action pattern

a series of movements elicited by a stimulus such that even when the stimulus is removed, the pattern goes on to completion

migration

long-range seasonal movement of animals

• obligate

• facultative

• incomplete

obligate migration

animals always migrate

facultative migration

animals choose to migrate or not migrate

incomplete migration

some of the population migrates, while others don’t

types of learned behaviors

imprinting, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive learning

imprinting

a rapid form of learning occurring at a specific life stage, where an animal forms strong attachments and envelops a concept of its identity

classical conditioning

animals learn to associate a neutral stimulus with a significant role

• Pavlov’s dogs

Operant conditioning

animals learn behaviors through rewards and punsiments

cognitive learning

the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experiences, and the senses, involving mental processes such as thinking, knowing, memory, and problem-solving