15 - Behavioural Ecology

Behavioural Ecology

The study of how behavior contributes to the survival and reproduction of organisms in their environment.

Ethology

The scientific study of behavior, particularly in relation to its ecological and evolutionary significance.

Fixed Action Patterns

Innate behavioral sequences that are triggered by a specific stimulus and run to completion.

Sign Stimulus

A specific stimulus that initiates a fixed action pattern.

Hygienic Bees

Honeybees that exhibit behavior to remove diseased larvae from their hives.

Associative Learning

A learning process in which a behavior is modified or conditioned through association between a stimulus and a response.

Classical Conditioning

A type of associative learning where an involuntary response becomes associated with a stimulus that did not originally elicit that response.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process in which behavior is modified based on the consequences of that behavior, involving rewards or punishments.

Cognitive Learning

The ability to solve problems using conscious thought, including perception, analysis, judgment, recollection, and imagining.

Imprinting

A process of rapid learning during a critical period, where animals develop a lifelong behavioral response to a specific object or individual.

Kinesis

Movement in response to a stimulus that is not directed toward or away from the source of stimulation.

Taxis

Directed movement toward (positive taxis) or away (negative taxis) from a stimulus.

Optimal Foraging Theory

The idea that animals will optimize their foraging behavior to maximize benefits while minimizing costs.

Territory

A fixed area that an individual or group defends against others, typically ensuring exclusive access to resources.

Altruism

Behaviors that benefit others at a cost to the individual performing the behavior.

Kin Selection

A form of natural selection that favors altruistic behaviors towards relatives, increasing the likelihood of shared genes being passed on.

Mating Systems

The structure of mating relationships in a population, including types such as monogamy, polygyny, and polyandry.

Sexual Dimorphism

Differences in size or appearance between the sexes of the same species, often associated with mating systems.

Eusociality

A complex social structure in certain animal species, where non-reproductive individuals assist in raising offspring.

Reciprocal Altruism

Altruistic acts performed with the expectation of future reciprocation, often seen in social animals.