Ethology 2.0

Ethology

the science of animal behavior, what an organism does and why

Behavioral Ethology

how behavior benefits an organism's survival

Instincts

behaviors that occur without learning

Key stimuli

very specific triggers for very specific behaviors

Imprinting

a way for an organism to learn the behavior of its own species

Super normal stimuli

stronger stimuli than the normal triggering a behavior

Displacement activity

when an animal experiences high motivation for two or more conflicting behaviors

Redundant action

the motivation to perform a behavior is high, but the right stimuli are missing

Conditioning

associating a behavior with a selected signal

Behavioral ecology

how animals interact with their environment and others regarding survival

Communication in animals

visual signs, acoustic signals, chemical signals, tactile signals

Camouflage

avoid predators by blending into the environment

Aposematic coloring

warning coloration

Mimicry

one species resembles another to appear intimidating

Social systems in animals

the advantages and disadvantages of living solitary or in packs

Sexual strategies: Males

require less energy to produce sex cells and can fertilize many eggs quickly

Sexual strategies: Females

require more energy to produce eggs, have limited fertilization periods, and invest heavily in offspring

Sexual Dimorphism

different appearance between males and females of the same species

Monogamy

one male and one female

Polygamy

multiple partners

Polygyny

one male mates with several females

Polyandry

one female mates with several males

Permiscuous

only meet during the procreation period.

The main purpose of mating strategies

To have as many surviving offspring as possible.