chapter 43: animal behavior Flashcards
(44 cards)
what is behavior
-Observable, coordinated responses to environmental stimuli
-Genes control neural & hormonal mechanism influence behavior
-Shaped by environmental factors
what are fixed action patterns (FAP)
Innate behavior pattern that is stereotyped, spontaneous, independent of immediate control, genetically encoded, & independent of individual learning
what is sign stimulus
environmental trigger that causes fixed action pattern
what is learning
durable change in behavior brought about by experience
what is imprinting
-form of learning occurs when a young animal forms an association with first moving object it sees
-Birds will imprint on an moving object during their sensitive period
what is a sensitive period
period of time in which particular behavior develops
example of social interactions and learning
-Hypothesis: white-crowned sparrows learn how to sing from older members of their species
-Group one: Heard no songs at all
-Group two: Heard tapes of white-crowns singing
-Group three: Given adult tutor
what is associative learning
Acquired ability to associate two stimuli or between a stimulus and a response
what are the two components of associative learning
- Classical Conditioning
- Operant Conditioning
what is classical conditioning
-type of learning whereby an unconditioned stimulus that elicits a specific response is paired with a neutral stimulus, so that the response becomes conditioned
-Pavlov’s Dogs
what is operant conditioning
Learning that results from rewarding or reinforcing a particular behavior.
Ex: giving an animal a reward when teaching it a trick
what is latent operant conditioning
animal makes association without immediate reward
what is migration
Regular back-and-forth movement of animals between two geographic areas at particular times of the year
what is orientation
ability to know present location by tracking stimuli in the environment
what is navigating
To steer or manage a course by adjusting one’s bearings and following the result of the adjustment
components of cognitive learning
Observation, imitation, & insight
what is insight learning
-Ability to apply prior learning to a new situation without trial-and-error activity
-Capable of planning ahead
-Emotions & personalities!
what are societies
Group in which members of a species are organized in a cooperative manner, extending beyond sexual and parental behavior
-Communication
what is communication
-Signal by a sender that influences the behavior of a receiver
-Chemical, auditory, visual, & tactile
what are pheromones
-Chemical messenger that works at distance & alters behavior of another member of same species
-Some animals capable of secreting a variety each with different meanings
what is auditory communication
-Sound that an animal makes to send a message to another individual
-Fast communication
-Modified by loudness, pattern, duration, & repetition
-Effective day & night
what is visual communication
-Form of communication between animals using their bodies, including various forms of display
-Most used by animals active during day
-Territorial displays to complex courtship behaviors
what is tactile communication
-occurs when information is passed from one animal to another by touch
-Impart information about the environment
-Social bonding and courtship common
what is behavioral ecology
study of how natural selection shapes the behavior of a species