Animal Behavior Exam 1: Chapter 1

11 MAJOR behavioral patterns

1. Locomotion

2. feeding

3. seek favorable environment

4. thermoregulation

5. body maintenance

6. sleep/rest

7. monitor environment

8. play

9. biological rhythms

10. tool use

11. social/reproduction

Biotic external stimuli

mates, young, associates, predators, competitors, food, prey

Abiotic external stimuli

Temperature, precipitation humidity, barometric pressure, light/dark, topography, water ph, salinity, and clarity.

Internal stimuli

Thirst/hunger/satiation energy state/fatigue, fear/pain, aggression, sex/reproductive drive

Three ultimate purpose behavior

1. survival

2. reproduction

3. glorify God

Five reasons to study behavior

1. humans

2. conservation

3. pest control

4. animal husbandry

5. God’s calling

Three components of describing behavior

1. take care with interpretation

2. graded signals varying in intensity

3. units

Eight components of observation

1. question

2. describe it

3. time

4. observer influence

5. inter observer reliability

6. observability

7. separate correlation and cause

8. differing perceptual worlds

Proximate questions

What causes it?

What develops it?

short term/individual

how?

Ultimate questions

what is the function?

What is the evolution?

long term/populations

why?

Cause

proximate, reason/mechanism

nervous system, hormones, muscles/skeleton

development

proximate, origin/form

learned, genes, ontogeny (development of individual during life)

evolution

ultimate, origin/form

macro/microevolution, history

function

ultimate reason/mechanism

territory defense, mate attraction

two kinds of science

empirical/observational

historical/origin

two kinds of selection

natural/darwinian

group

darwinian natural selection

• benefits individual

• direct

• strong

• imediate

group selection

• benefits population

• indirect

• weak

• longterm

good scientific theories are?

falsifiable (Karl Popper)

paradigm

• influences science

• delayed hypothesis rejection

• _____ shift

• example = capernican revolution

• Thomas Kuhn

how did Ethology and psychology influence experimental approach

initially asked questions and used contrasting methods

how did behavioral ecology influence experimental approach?

synthesized the two more

sociobiology

is an evolutionary emphasis on social behavior

boundaries between sociobiology, behavioral ecology, ethology and comparative psychology

are fuzzy

Ethology

• study of natural behavior in natural setting

• many species and behaviors

• focus on instinctive/innate behavior

• ultimate questions (why? function/evolution)

ethology disadvantages

• little control over variables

• no knowledge of subjects experiences

• difficult to test evolution

Comparative psychology

• the study of behavior in a lab setting

• studies compare model species (rat)

• focus on learned behavior

• proximate (how? cause/development)

comparative psychology disadvantages

• domestication of animals

• controlled environment may effect behavior

• ignoring ecology/evolution weakens approach

Behavioral Ecology

• the study of how animals interact with abiotic and biotic environment and survival value

• both proximate and ultimate

• both instinct and learning

• both field and lab observation

Sociobiology

• the study of applying evolution to social behaviors

• comparative method

Ontogeny

the development of an individual thoughout its life

phylogeny

the development of groups of organism of long periods of time

How can the stimuli that animals respond to, resulting in behavior, be subdivided, and what are some examples of each category of stimulus?

Internal Stimuli

• Hunger

• Thirst

• Pain

• Hormonal changes

External Stimuli

• Environmental Stimuli

  • Temperature:

  • Light:

  • Seasonal changes:

• social stimuli

  • Alarm calls

  • Courtship displays

  • Territorial aggression

• Predatory/Threat Stimuli

  • Prey detection

  • Predator avoidance

  • Camouflage response

How was the “Cause” question addressed by Alcock?

The structure of the moles brain was different than other species that did not exhibit the abnormal behavior

How was the “development” question addressed by Alcock?

specific genes in the moles influenced the behavior where if the gene was absent they wouldn't exhibit the behavior

How was the “Evolution” question addressed by Alcock?

through generations of monogamous success, the product is the dominance of monogamy

How was the “function” question addressed by Alcock?

the moles that were monogamous had a higher reproductive success than males that were not

Basic steps to scientific approach

1) observation

2) question

3) hypothesis

4) prediction

5) test

6) analyze data/interpret

7) final conclusions

What qualification do we need to make in regards to Alcock’s statement that researchers use the same procedures for testing ultimate hypotheses as they do for proximate explanations? 

• Proximate vs. Ultimate Testing Methods Differ

  • Proximate hypotheses (mechanisms of behavior) are often tested using experiments that manipulate genes, hormones, or environmental factors.

  • Ultimate hypotheses (evolutionary functions) are typically tested using comparative studies, phylogenetic analyses, or long-term observational data, since evolutionary processes occur over long timescales.

• Experimental Control is Harder for Ultimate Explanations

  • Proximate mechanisms can be directly manipulated in a lab setting.

  • Ultimate hypotheses rely on indirect evidence (e.g., fossil records, species comparisons), making controlled experiments more difficult.

What three conditions are necessary for natural selection to occur?

1) variation

2) Heredity

3) difference in reproductive success

Why does the Darwinian selection argument usually win out over the group selection argument?That is, what is the weakness of the group selection argument? 

The weakness of group selection is that it assumes individuals will act for the good of the group even when it might reduce their own reproductive success. However, in a population with both selfish and altruistic individuals, selfish individuals usually outcompete altruists because they pass on more of their genes. Over time, selfish genes spread, undermining group-beneficial behaviors.

Is a group selection argument ever potentially valid, and if so under what conditions? 

• When groups with cooperative behaviors outcompete other groups,

• When strong kin selection (inclusive fitness) is involved

• When punishment or social enforcement prevents cheaters from taking advantage of the group

Specifically in regards to the occurrence of infanticide among langurs, what evidence weakened the group selection argument and what alternate hypothesis was supported and why?

the infanticide took place in both high and low density places, this supports the hypothesis of optimized reproduction for the langurs

Is Science Ever Certain?

John Alcock is correct in stating that science can never be completely certain about any conclusion. Scientific knowledge is always subject to revision and refinement as new evidence emerges. Unlike absolute truths in mathematics or theology, scientific conclusions are based on empirical evidence, which is always open to further testing and potential falsification.

Kuhn’s Perspective on Scientific Change

would not entirely agree with Alcock’s portrayal of science as a steady progression of scrutiny leading to the elimination of errors. In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), Kuhn argued that science does not advance in a purely linear or cumulative way, but instead goes through paradigm shifts

Implications for Christians and Science

1. Scientific knowledge is not infallible.

2. Christians can engage with science critically.

3. Faith and science can coexist.

4. Paradigm shifts can challenge or affirm faith.

Ethogram

catalog or inventory of behaviors exhibited by an animal or a group of animals. It provides a detailed, systematic description of different types of behaviors, often categorized by their function (e.g., feeding, mating, aggression, grooming). Ethograms are used in animal behavior research to observe, record, and analyze behavioral patterns in a structured way.