ANINAL BEHAVIOR SYLLABUS

Sure! Here's an extensive explanation of various aspects of animal behavior, incorporating

examples and key concepts:

### **INNATE BEHAVIOUR**

Innate behaviors are those that are hardwired into an organism's biology. These behaviors are
typically present from birth and do not require learning or experience. They are often crucial for
survival and reproduction.

#### **INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOUR**

Instinctive behavior is a subset of innate behavior, which is performed without prior experience
or learning. It is triggered by specific stimuli and is consistent across individuals of a species.

#### **Features of Instinctive Behaviour**

1. **Genetically Programmed:** Instinctive behaviors are encoded in an organism's DNA.
2. **Universal Within Species:** All individuals of a species exhibit the behavior.
3. **Rigid and Predictable:** These behaviors are performed in the same way each time.
4. **Adaptive Value:** They typically enhance survival and reproductive success.

#### **Examples of Instinctive Behaviour**

- **Fixed Action Patterns (FAP):** The graylag goose's egg-rolling behavior is a classic example.
When an egg rolls out of the nest, the goose instinctively rolls it back using its beak.
- **Migration:** Many bird species, such as the Arctic Tern, instinctively migrate vast distances
annually.

### **LEARNED BEHAVIOUR**

Learned behaviors are acquired through interaction with the environment and experience. These
behaviors can change and adapt over an individual's lifetime.

#### **Features of Learning**

1. **Experience-Based:** Learning requires interaction with the environment.
2. **Variable:** Learned behaviors can vary between individuals and situations.
3. **Modifiable:** These behaviors can be adjusted based on new information or changes in the
environment.
4. **Adaptive:** Learning can improve an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in
changing conditions.

### **PIONEERS OF ETHOLOGY**

Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, typically in natural environments.

#### **Key Figures**

- **Konrad Lorenz:** Known for his work on imprinting in birds.
- **Niko Tinbergen:** Developed the four questions framework to understand behavior:
causation, development, evolution, and function.
- **Karl von Frisch:** Famous for deciphering the honeybee dance language.

### **Approaches to Studying Animal Behaviour**

1. **Observational Studies:** Watching animals in their natural habitat to gather data on
behavior.
2. **Experimental Studies:** Manipulating variables in controlled settings to determine cause-
and-effect relationships.
3. **Comparative Studies:** Comparing behaviors across different species to understand
evolutionary relationships.

### **Importance of Studying Animal Behaviour**

Understanding animal behavior helps in conservation efforts, improving animal welfare, and
enhancing our knowledge of human behavior through comparative studies.

### **HOW TO STUDY ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR**

#### **Methods of Studying Animal Behaviour**
- **Field Observations:** Watching animals in their natural environments.
- **Laboratory Experiments:** Controlled experiments to isolate specific variables.
- **Ethograms:** Comprehensive catalogs of all the behaviors exhibited by a species.
- **Technology:** Using tools like GPS, cameras, and sensors to track and record behavior.

#### **Disadvantages of Still Photography**

- **Lack of Context:** A single photo cannot capture the sequence or context of a behavior.
- **Static Nature:** It doesn't show the dynamic aspect of behavior.
- **Limited Information:** Photos lack temporal data, which is crucial for understanding
behaviors over time.

### **DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIOUR**

#### **Experiments to Show Role of Genes in the Development of Behaviour**
- **Twin Studies:** Comparing behavior in genetically identical twins raised apart to determine
genetic influence.
- **Selective Breeding:** Breeding animals for specific behaviors to see if these traits are
heritable.

#### **Hygienic Behaviour in Honeybees (Apis mellifera)**

Honeybees exhibit hygienic behavior by detecting and removing diseased larvae from the hive.
This behavior is crucial for colony health and is controlled by multiple genes.

#### **Nest Building Behaviour in Lovebirds**

Different species of lovebirds show species-specific nest-building behaviors, influenced by genetic
predispositions.

#### **Genetics and Behaviour in Drosophila**

Studies on fruit flies (Drosophila) have shown that mutations in specific genes can alter behaviors
like mating and circadian rhythms.

#### **Courtship Behaviours in Mutant Species**

Mutations can lead to changes in courtship behaviors, such as altered song patterns in birds or
pheromone production in insects.

### **THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIOUR**

Environmental factors like temperature, light, and social interactions can significantly influence
the development of behavior in animals.

### **IMPRINTING**
Imprinting is a form of learning where young animals develop attachments and identify certain
objects or organisms as their parents or other significant figures.

#### **Konrad Lorenz's Experiment on Imprinting**

Lorenz demonstrated imprinting by raising goslings who followed him as their "mother." This
showed that there is a critical period shortly after hatching during which imprinting occurs.

### **Experiment**
Observing and documenting the behavior of animals under various conditions to understand the
mechanisms and outcomes of imprinting.

### **Observation**
Regular monitoring and recording of animal behavior in their natural environment to gather data
on patterns and variations.

### **SEXUAL IMPRINTING**

Sexual imprinting is when young animals learn the characteristics of a desirable mate, often
based on the parents' traits.

### **Experiment to Show Sexual Imprinting**

Studies have shown that zebra finches raised by foster parents of a different species will later
prefer mates that look like their foster parents.

### **SIGN STIMULUS**

A sign stimulus is a specific feature of the environment that triggers a fixed action pattern or
instinctive behavior.

#### **Types of Sign Stimuli**

1. **Visual Sign Stimuli:** Colors, shapes, and movements that trigger behaviors.
2. **Auditory Sign Stimuli:** Sounds that elicit responses.
3. **Olfactory/Chemical Sign Stimuli:** Smells and pheromones that influence behavior.

### **Examples and Experiments**

#### **Visual Sign Stimuli**
- **Example:** The red belly of a male stickleback fish triggers aggression in other males.
- **Experiment:** Tinbergen's experiments showed that male sticklebacks would attack even
unrealistic models with a red underside.

#### **Auditory Sign Stimuli**

- **Example:** Bird songs used to attract mates or defend territory.
- **Experiment:** Playback experiments where recorded songs are played to observe territorial
or mating responses.

#### **Olfactory/Chemical Sign Stimuli**

- **Example:** Pheromones used by insects to communicate.
- **Experiment:** Testing insect responses to synthetic pheromones in controlled environments.

### **SUPERNORMAL STIMULUS**

A supernormal stimulus is an exaggerated version of a normal stimulus that elicits a stronger
response. For example, birds may prefer larger, brighter eggs over their own.

### **STIMULUS FILTERING**

Animals filter out irrelevant stimuli to focus on important signals, a process crucial for survival
and efficiency.

### **MOTIVATION**
Motivation refers to the internal state that drives an animal to engage in particular behaviors.

#### **Phases of Goal-Oriented Behaviour**

1. **Appetitive Phase:** Searching and preparing for the behavior.
2. **Consummatory Phase:** Engaging in the behavior to achieve the goal.

#### **Drive**
A drive is an internal state that propels an organism toward a goal, such as hunger driving an
animal to seek food.

### **Lorenz's Psycho-Hydraulic Model**

Lorenz proposed that behavior results from the buildup and release of internal drives, like water
pressure in a hydraulic system.

#### **Hunger & Thirst Drive**

Animals are driven to find food and water to maintain homeostasis.

#### **Hoarding Drive**

Some animals, like squirrels, are driven to store food for future use.

#### **Migratory Drive**

Many species, such as monarch butterflies, have an innate drive to migrate.

#### **Aggression Drive**

Territorial and dominance behaviors are driven by aggression.

#### **Territorial Drive**

Animals establish and defend territories to secure resources and mating opportunities.

#### **Hormones in Sexual Drive**

Hormones like testosterone and estrogen influence sexual behaviors and readiness.

#### **Parental Care Drive**

Parental behaviors ensure the survival of offspring.

### **Concept of Competing Drives**

Animals often experience multiple drives simultaneously, requiring them to prioritize behaviors
based on urgency and context.

### **Physiology of Motivation**

Understanding the neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying motivation helps explain animal
behavior.

### **Experiment to Show that the Lateral Nucleus is the Feeding Center**
Lesion studies in animals have shown that damage to the lateral hypothalamus leads to reduced
feeding behavior.

### **Cessation of Hunger**

Once an animal has consumed enough food, satiety signals from the body and brain lead to the
cessation of feeding behavior.

### **LEARNING**
Learning involves acquiring new behaviors or modifying existing ones based on experience.

#### **Classical Conditioning**

A learning process where an animal learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a significant one.

#### **Phases of Classical Conditioning**

1. **Unconditioned Phase:** The unconditioned stimulus naturally elicits an unconditioned
response.
2. **Conditioning Phase:** The neutral stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus.
3. **Conditioned Phase:** The neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus, eliciting a
conditioned response.

### **Key Principles of Classical Conditioning**

- **Acquisition:** The process of learning the association.
- **Extinction:** The weakening of the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is
absent.
- **Spontaneous Recovery:** The reappearance of the conditioned response after a period of
rest.
- **Stimulus Generalization:** Responding similarly to stimuli that resemble the conditioned
stimulus.
- **Stimulus Discrimination:** Learning to respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus.

#### **Pav