Zoology101: Animal BiologyLast Lecture Outline Lecture 32 1. Animal Behavior2. Animal Signals and CommunicationCurrent lecture 1. Behaviors and Learning2. Mating Systems Behaviors and Learning • Behaviors that are under strong genetic influence are called innate ◦ developmentally fixed; do not vary among individuals ◦ Fixed action pattern: sequence of unlearned, innate behavior that is unchangeable ◦ Once initiated → carried to completion ◦ Fixed action pattern → triggered by external cue called a sign stimulus ▪ i.e. stickle back fish • Male ignored shape without red belly • Attacked red belly of any shape • Attack behavior → red underside of intruder • Cross-fostering studies help behavioral ecologists to identify contribution of environment to animals behavior ◦ places young from one species into the care of adults from another species ◦ California mouse: High paternal care, territorial◦ White footed mouse: low paternal care, non-territorial ◦ Experience can be passed onto offspring • Learning: modification of a behavior based on specific experience ◦ imprinting: learned and innate components; irreversible ◦ Sensitive period- limited developmental phase that is the only time when certain behaviors can be learned ◦ Konrad Lorenz → baby geese◦ Different in each species • Conservation efforts◦ young whooping cranes can imprint on humans in “crane suits” who then lead crane using ultralight aircrafts • Associative learning: associate stimulus with response ◦ classical conditioning: arbitrary stimulus is associated with reward or punishment ▪ i.e. Pavlov dog experiment ◦ operant conditioning : animals learn to associated one of its behaviors with reward or punishment; trial-error learning ◦ Social learning: animals learn behavior by observing others in the species ▪ I.e young chimpanzees▪ learning occurs in groups ▪ Vervet monkeys use predator specific alarm calls • elicit different behavioral response (climbing trees, hiding in bushes)• young learn how to use calls correctly◦ Spatial learning: complex behavior which requires experience with the spatial structure of the environment ▪ I.e pine cone digger wasp experiment ▪ Digger wasp needs environment landmarks in order to find home Mating Systems • Any behavior or seeking, attracting, choosing, competing for a mate or caring for offspring • Polygamy- individual of one sex mates with several others of the opposite sex◦ Polygyny: one males seeks different females ◦ Polyandry: one females seeks different males • Monogamy: one male and one female • Needs of young are an important factor constraining evolution of mating system ◦ If offspring need a continuous food supply..▪ male maximizes reproductive success by staying with his mate and caring for his chicks (monogamy) ◦ If offspring can feed themselves...▪ Male maximizes reproductive success by seeking additional mates (polygomy)• Certainty of paternity influences parental care and mating behavior (depends on mating behavior)◦ Internal fertilization → low paternal certainty▪ mating and birth are separate over time ◦ External fertilization → high paternal certainty ▪ mating/egg laying occur together ▪ parental care may be male or female • Monogamous species → individuals have similar external morphologies • Polygyny → males have show/larger traits than females ◦ antlers; females get to be choosy• Polyandry → females more showy than males ◦ males get to be choosy • Difference in appearance → sexual dimorphism ◦ degree of sexual dimorphism → form of natural selection◦ Intersexual selection: member of one sex chooses mate based on size, color, and ornamentation◦ Intrasexual selection: involves competition between members of the same sex for mates • Fitness of a particular trait depends on trait of other individuals in a population◦ Game theory- evaluates alternative individuals strategy and strategy of other individual ◦ success of strategy depends on frequency of all strategies ▪ competition drives frequency-dependent selection among guarder, sneaker and aggressor
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