Animal Behavior Exam #1

Animal Behavior

internally coordinated responses of a whole living organism to internal and/or external environmental stimuli.

Dead Man Test

if a dead man can not do it it is behavior

Evolution

Inherited changes over time 

inherited

Genes/traits passed from parent to offspring. Behavior is encoded in genes, like eye/hair color or bone/frame.

Mutations in DNA

cause changes in inherited traits

Neutral, Advantageous, Deletrious

3 categories of mutation

Neutral

no affect (like rolling tongue)

Advantageous

Good

Deleterious

bad (bird with no wings)

Natural selection

Unequal survival (in an unpredictable environment with limited resources) and reproduction of individuals with advantageous traits that make a larger contribution to the traits of the next generation

Limited resources in natural selection

Food, space, nesting, mates, water

Species

Individuals that can interbreed and produce live, fertile offspring

Population

All individuals of a species living in the same area at the same time; evolution occurs

Fitness

Contribution an individual makes to the next generation relative to others in the same population

Birds A × B vs. C × D offspring example

Pair A × B produced 4 offspring, while pair C × D produced 2 offspring. A × B has higher fitness because they contributed more offspring to the next generation.

Reproductive success

Passing on genes to the next generation so they can also be passed on

Manatee (“sea cow”) adaptation

Lost oxidative distress, advantageous for holding breath longer

Organophosphates

Chemicals used to remove pests; can cause issues in water

Paraoxonase I

Enzyme that breaks down organophosphates; absent = cannot break them down

Manatee example

Example of natural selection: advantageous traits (like breath-holding in manatees) improve survival, while disadvantageous traits (like lacking Paraoxonase I in polluted water) reduce survival

Great tit

song birds, anthroporic, genic variation, personality variations (bold and shy)

Bold vs shy response to novel objects

Bold = short latency, quick exploratory. Shy = long latency, slow response

Cost-benefit of bold vs. shy great tit

Bold: Cost = higher risk from predators; Benefit = find food faster

Shy: Cost = lower chance of finding food; Benefit = safer from predators

Bold great tit in high-resource environments

Bold birds do better; they take more risks (even risk dying) and forage on the outer edges

Shy birds in low-resource environments

Shy birds do better; they stay in the middle of the group, communicate more, and avoid risks

Experimental setup (Great Tit bird study)

Researchers trapped and ID’d birds when exploring objects. In the lab, they used fake trees with food nearby and timed how long each bird took to investigate

Bold vs. shy behavior in experiments

Bold birds (field + lab) = short latency (explore quickly). Shy birds (lab) = longest latency (slow to explore).

Nest incubation behavior (cost of leaving)

Shy birds leave nests longer than 30 min (eggs risk getting cold). Bold birds leave and return faster (safer for nest).

Are bold/shy traits inherited?

Yes. Breeding two bold parents → bold offspring; two shy parents → shy offspring. Traits persist across multiple generations.

Learned bird behaviors

Birds opened milk tops; parrots opened garbage cans; chickadees collected food.

Birds using cigarette butts in nests

Birds collect cigarette butts for nests because nicotine kills parasitic mites, increasing chick survival and health

Experiment: cigarette butt types

Researchers tested unsmoked filters (low nicotine) vs. smoked filters (higher nicotine). Nests with more cigarette butts had fewer parasites

Magpie birds using spikes

In the Netherlands, magpies rip anti-bird spikes and weave them into nests, which deter predators and add structural support

Marine isopods (Phylum Arthropoda)

Live in spongocoels and show three distinct male morphs, each with different reproductive strategies

Alpha male isopod

Largest, with horns. Defends spongocoel, keeps a harem of females, attacks intruding males. Highest reproductive success

Beta male isopod

Medium-sized, looks like a female (no horns). Sneaks into harems under alpha’s nose. Moderate reproductive success

Gamma male isopod

Smallest, very sneaky. Reproduces with many females while alpha is distracted. Produces gamma sons

Hyposmocoma

A moth species from Hawaii whose caterpillars exhibit unique predatory behavior; found up to 1.5 km on Hawaii Island and also on Oahu Island.

Bone Collector Caterpillar

Hyposmocoma caterpillars that feed on insects trapped in spider webs and stick the dead body parts onto themselves to avoid detection by spiders

Camouflage Behavior in Caterpillars

Arranging prey remains on their body so spiders see it as waste, increasing survival; this behavior dates back ~9 million years, it increases RS

Physical Variation

Differences in size, weight, or traits among individuals (e.g., polar bears, dog puppies, runt piglets) that influence survival and behavior

V-Formation in Geese

Flight formation where the front goose experiences the most wind resistance; formation reduces energy expenditure for others

Umwelt

German for “environment”; the sensory world and perception of an organism.

Ethology

Scientific study of animal behavior and its underlying mechanisms, emphasizing natural behaviors; European tradition

Bees’ sensory perception

Can see UV patterns on flowers, guiding foraging behavior.

Great Tits’ sensory perception

Can detect butyric acid (sweat of mammals), allowing them to sense nearby humans or animals

Pit Vipers’ sensory perception

Can sense infrared light (heat) emitted by prey

Human eye perception

Can process 30–60 frames per second; allows fast visual tasks like hitting a baseball, influenced by genetics and training

Tick’s Umwelt

Senses hair and chemicals from hosts

Dog’s sensory perception

Highly developed olfactory system; can detect scents like other dogs’ scent marks and human odors

Rat’s Umwelt

Uses olfaction and touch to navigate; illustrates species-specific sensory adaptations.

Connectomes

Neural wiring diagrams; comparison of C. elegans (bacteria eater) and P. pacidius (carnivore) shows how neural connections reflect behavioral differences despite common ancestry

Tinbergen’s Four Questions

1. Mechanism (Proximate): What causes the behavior? – Immediate triggers such as hormones, pheromones, internal states (e.g., hunger, age).

2. Development (Proximate): How does the behavior develop in the individual? – Role of innate traits vs. learning (e.g., birds learning song notes).

3. Function (Ultimate): Why is the behavior performed? – Costs and benefits; contribution to survival or reproductive success.

4. Evolution (Ultimate): How has natural selection shaped the behavior? – Ancestral origin and modification for adaptive value.

Funnel-Building Spider

Species tested for nesting and anti-predator behaviors; shows ecological adaptation and flexibility across niches

Riparian habitat

Woodlands near water with lush vegetation, near riverbeds, abundant prey, and many predators; located in Arizona in this study

Desert habitat

Dry, hot environment with open space, fewer prey, fewer predators; active at night; located in New Mexico in this study

Riparian field observation

Lush vegetation near riverbed, abundant insects and food, lots of predators like birds and lizards.

Desert field observation

Dry and hot, open space, fewer prey and predators, active at night.

Riparian behavior

Females build nests close together because food is abundant; not aggressive or territorial

Desert behavior

Females do not allow close nests due to low food; aggressive and territorial

Proximate explanation (Riparian)

Not territorial; allow other nests nearby because food is abundant

Proximate explanation (Desert)

Do not allow other nests nearby due to low food; maintain territory

Ultimate explanation (Riparian)

Do not fight because prey is abundant

Ultimate explanation (Desert)

Fight because food is scarce

Predator response (Riparian)

Feel web shake, slow response, avoid being eaten

Predator response (Desert)

Feel web shake, fast response, need to eat prey and defend territory.

Learned vs. inherited behavior

Lab study mixed females in same species male areas; produced lots of offspring to test if behavior is inherited or learned

Funnel web experiment

Experiment where insects (prey) are placed on a funnel web, then the web is shaken to simulate predator presence while timing the spider’s response.

Riparian reaction to predator

Slow response to predators due to abundance of prey and many predators; less urgency to react quickly

Desert reaction to predator

Fast response to predators due to scarcity of prey and fewer predators; quick action increases survival chances

Offspring predator latency/response

The speed at which offspring react to a predator, measuring innate anti-predator behavior

Riparian offspring response

Slow reaction to predators because there is an abundance of prey and many predators, reducing urgency

Desert offspring response

Fast reaction to predators due to scarcity of prey and fewer predators, increasing survival chances

Riparian individuals traveling to desert

Poor survival; they wait too long to move, showing difficulty adapting to dry, hot conditions

Desert individuals traveling to lush land

Initially survive okay but eventually die because they move too fast for safe adaptation to the new environment

Tinbergen

Ethologist who characterized innate behavior and studied its genetic and evolutionary basis

Innate behavior

Behavior that is not learned, heritable, and encoded in genes; passed from parent to offspring

Examples of innate behavior

Eating through the mouth, newborns grasping objects, or reflexes to prevent falling (e.g., ancestral tree-dwelling adaptations)

Intrinsic behavior

Behavior performed perfectly even in animals raised in isolation, showing it is genetically encoded

Stereotypical behavior

Behavior performed the same way every time by individuals of the same species, with very little variation

Inflexible behavior

Behavior not modified by development or experience; vital for survival and reproductive success

Consumate behavior

Behavior fully developed and expressed perfectly the first time it is performed, completing the necessary sequence.

Fixed Action Pattern (FAP)

A genetically hardwired sequence of behaviors triggered by a specific stimulus; evolutionarily adapted to ensure appropriate responses

Evolutionary significance of innate behavior

Ensures fitness by producing reliable, adaptive responses to environmental stimuli that are vital for survival and reproduction

Greylag goose egg retrieval behavior

Fixed action pattern (FAP) where a goose uses its neck and beak to roll eggs back into the nest, ensuring offspring survival. Once initiated, the FAP continues even if the egg is removed, illustrating a hardwired behavioral sequence.

Nest safety and location

Birds nesting in trees are generally safe; ground nests are riskier, influencing the development of retrieval behavior

Egg characteristics

Very large eggs (¼–⅓ lb) in flimsy twig nests; occasionally eggs roll out, triggering FAP

Optimal trait value

Trait value that maximizes fitness in a given environment; for egg retrieval, the normal neck length defines the functional range (≈1.6–2 ft).

Experiment 2 – Egg distance

Female will not retrieve eggs farther than their neck can reach (≈1.6–2 ft), showing physical constraints define optimal behavior

Experiment 3 – Supernormal stimulus

Abnormally large fake egg near nest elicits stronger FAP response, demonstrating preference for stimuli that maximize reproductive success

Significance of FAP and supernormal stimulus

FAP ensures survival of offspring; supernormal stimuli reveal behavioral mechanisms evolved for optimal fitness rather than absolute realism

Herring Gull chick feeding behavior

Chicks peck at the red dot on the parent’s bill to stimulate feeding

Three-Spined Stickleback (non-breeding season)

Males and females look similar; no strong coloration differences outside breeding season.

Three-Spined Stickleback (breeding season males)

Males develop bright red bellies, signaling maturity and readiness to breed

Sperm competition (sticklebacks)

Females mate with multiple males; last male’s sperm has an advantage because it is delivered with more fluid, flushing out earlier sperm

Sign stimulus (sticklebacks)

The red belly of males during breeding season, which triggers attack behavior from rival males

Experiment: red belly vs. green light

In white light, two red-bellied males fight. Under green light, red is not visible, and fighting does not occur

Fixed Action Pattern (sticklebacks)

Attack behavior directed at red-bellied rivals during breeding season; innate and triggered by color stimulus