Unit 8: Topic 1 - Responses to the Environment

behavioral ecology

behavioral ecology

the study of how behaviors arise due to ecology and evolution

behavior

• an animal’s response to a stimulus (internal or external)

  • nature vs nurture (genetic and environmental factors)

  • allow for survival and reproduction

    • subject to natural selection

proximate cause

• how a behavior occurs or how it is modified

  • What was the stimulus to cause the behavior?

  • How does the “nurture” component affect behavior (i.e. how do the experiences during growth and development influence the response)?

ultimate cause

• why a behavior occurs (in context of natural selection)

  • how does the behavior help the animal survive and reproduce?

  • how does the “nature” component affect behavior (i.e. what is the evolutionary basis of the behavior)?

innate behaviors

• developmentally fixed

  • hereditary, born behaviors, do not need to learn them

  • experience during growth has no obvious effect

learned behaviors

• depend on environmental influence

  • experiences DO affect these behaviors

  • high variation in a population

fixed action patterns (FAPS)

• INNATE BEHAVIOR

• a sequence of unlearned acts directly linked to a stimulus

  • actions are unchangeable

  • carried out to completion

  • triggered by a sign stimulus (external cue)

    • ex: stickleback fish

migration

• INNATE BEHAVIOR

• a regular, long-distance change in location

  • triggered by environmental cues

    • sun’s position

    • earth’s magnetic field

    • celestial cues

signal

• INNATE BEHAVIORS

• a stimulus generated and transmitted from one animal to another; animal communication

  • ex: visual, auditory, tactile, electrical, chemical

    • pheromones

      • chemicals emitted by members of a species that can affect other members of the same species

    • stimulus response chains

      • when a response to a stimulus serves as the next stimulus for a behavior

        • seen in animal courtships

    • body movement

      • ex: waggle dance in bees

directed movements

• INNATE BEHAVIOR

• movements towards or away from a stimulus

  • kinesis

  • taxis

kinesis

• INNATE BEHAVIORS → DIRECTED MOVEMENTS

• random movement in response to a stimulus; non directional

taxis

• INNATE BEHAVIOR → DIRECTED MOVEMENTS

• directional movement towards (positive) or away from (negative) a stimulus

  • phototaxis: movement in response to light

  • chemotaxis: movement in response to chemical signals

  • geotaxis: movement in response to gravity

learning

• LEARNED BEHAVIORS

• the modification of behavior based on specific experiences

imprinting

• LEARNED BEHAVIORS

• a long-lasting behavioral response to an individual

  • happens during a sensitive period of development (usually very early in life)

    • imprinting occurs on the first individual they encounter

      • ex: ducks following their mother

spatial learning

• LEARNED BEHAVIORS

• establishing memories based upon the spatial structure of the animal’s surroundings

  • some animals from a cognitive map or use landmarks as environmental cues

    • example: birds finding their hidden nests

associative learning

• LEARNED BEHAVIORS

• the ability to associate one environmental feature with another

  • example: associating monarch butterflies with a foul taste

social learning

• LEARNED BEHAVIORS

• learned through observations and imitations of the observed behaviors

  • ex: chimps breaking open oil palm nuts

foraging

• food obtaining behavior

• searching for, recognizing, and capturing food items

  • animals better at ___________ will be more successful in finding food

mating behaviors

• animals can be monogamous or polygamous (polygyny or polyandry)

  • sexual dimorphism can results from sexual selection

altruism

• selfless behavior

• reduces the individual’s fitness, but increases the fitness of the rest of the population

  • ex: naked mole rat colonies have only one reproducing female (queen), who will only mate with a few males (kings). the other nonproductive members will sacrifice themselves to protect their queen and kings

phototropism

• a directional response that allows plants to grow towards (and in some cases away from) a source of light

photoperiodism

• allows plants to develop in response to day length; plants flower only at certain times of the year

plant defenses

• physical defenses

  • thorns, trichomes (small plant like hairs)

• chemical defenses

  • production of toxic or distasteful compounds

soil composition

• can affect plants

• the pH of soil can affect flower coloring in some plants

  • nutrients are more accessible at certain pH

    • ex: hydrangea blooms turn different colors based upon soil pH