Animal Behavior

Development of behavior

• Genetic but improve through learning

• Roosters/ ALex the parrot/ song birds/ bucks/ seagulls

Konrad Lorenz

• Ducks!!! (13-16hr)

Learning how to deal with lifes challenges

• Classical conditioning

  • associates an involuntary response and a stimulus

• Operant conditioning

  • Associating a voluntary behavior and a consequence

Using sensory signals to evade capture

• A1 cell responds to low medium and high intensity (30m)

• A2 cell only responds to high-intensity (2-4m) (both ears activate)

communicating the location of food

• Bees and flowers

Karl von Frisch 1973

• waggle dance communicates direction

• 20 degrees to the sun or gravity

• Distance greater than 50 m distance of wiggle

Exploiting seasonally abundant resources

• milkweed

• Canada to mexico 3000 miles

• West of rockies

  • 6th gen

Sexual selection

• Mate choice (females pick)

• Intersexual competition (males fight)