Which Way Did It Go?

An Investigation of Animal
Behavior
Read through the Animal Behavior Lab PowerPoint and watch the Animal Behavior Lab
videos before completing this assignment.

Part 1: Nature versus Nurture

Whether you are watching an animal documentary on tv, playing with your dog outside or idly watching
fish in an aquarium, you are observing animal behavior. Some behaviors may be puzzling, like the toads
in the spring that start to chirp or the aggressive actions of a sea lion on a dock. The reason for the
behaviors may not always be clear and scientists studying behavior often wrestle with a fundamental
question about the origins of the behavior. Behaviors fall into two broad categories:

Learned Behavior: Behavior that an animal is not born with, but one that develops through
experience. Animals can be trained using positive and negative reinforcement to avoid or
reinforce behaviors. For example, a dog that receives a treat for sitting will learn the sit
command.

Innate Behavior: This behavior is something an animal is born with; they are sometimes referred
to as instincts or intrinsic behavior. Questions arise about these behaviors because it may not
always be clear what purpose they serve. Biologists also explore the genetics of behavior,
making an assumption that the code for innate behaviors must be found within the DNA of the
organism and passed from one generation to the next.

Question 1. Suggest 2 types of learned behaviors and two innate behaviors that you have observed in
animals (cats, dogs, whales, humans).

Two types of learned behaviors that can be observed in animals include operant conditioning and
classical conditioning. For example, a dog that learns to sit on command is exhibiting operant
conditioning, while a dog that salivates at the sound of a bell (because it has learned to associate the
sound with food) is exhibiting classical conditioning. Two innate behaviors that can be observed in
animals include reflexes and instincts. For example, a cat that automatically pulls its paw away from a
hot stove is exhibiting a reflex, while a bird that builds a nest without being taught is exhibiting an
instinct.

Question 2. Why would it be assumed that innate behaviors were coded somewhere in DNA?

Innate behaviors are assumed to be coded somewhere in DNA because they are present in animals from
birth and do not need to be learned. This suggest that the behaviors are “pre-programmed” in the
animal’s genes, and that they are passed down from one generation to the next through the process of
inheritance.

Question 3. Fruit flies display geotaxis, or a response to the earth's gravity. If the flies are within a vial
and the vial is flipped upside down, the flies will crawl to the top of the vial. A researcher notices that a

Adapted from [Link]

group of flies that had been exposed to radiation no longer exhibit geotaxis. How could you provide
further evidence that this behavior is innate and not learned?

To provide further evidence that the behavior of geotaxis is innate and not learned, the researcher could
repeat the experiment with a new group of fruit flies that have not been exposed to radiation. If the
new group of flies exhibit geotaxis, this would suggest that the behavior is indeed innate and not
learned. Additionally, the researcher could investigate whether other groups of flies have been exposed
to different types of radiation (or other environmental factors) also exhibit a loss of geotaxis. If the
behavior is consistently lost across different types of radiation exposure, this would suggest that the
behavior is innate and not due to other factors (such as damage to the flies’ nervous system).

Question 4. Human behavior is difficult to study for ethical reasons. One famous experiment attempted
to determine if a fear of snakes was an innate or learned behavior in humans. Suggest a way
(experiment) that this question could be answered.

One way to determine if a fear of snakes is an innate or learned behavior in humans would be to study
the responses of young children who have not yet had the opportunity to learn about snakes. For
example, a researcher could present children of different ages with pictures of snakes and monitor their
physiological responses (such as heart rate, pupil dilation, or skin conductance) to determine if they
exhibit a fear response. If very young children (who have not yet had much exposure to snakes) exhibit a
fear response, this would suggest that the fear of snakes is innate.

Question 5. Follow this link to read about the real investigation. What does this experiment say about
fear of snakes?

Part 2: How (and Why) is Behavior Studied?

Ethology is the study of animal behavior and is most often concerned with the innate behaviors.
Biologists study animal behavior from two different points of view:

Proximate questions address the mechanisms that produce a behavior: the environmental
stimuli that trigger a behavior and the genetic and physiological mechanisms that make it

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 possible. For example, how does an animal carry out a behavior? Often behaviors are triggered
by chemicals, like hormones.

Ultimate questions address the evolutionary significance of a behavior: how a behavior

increases the evolutionary fitness of the animal demonstrating it, helping it to survive and
reproduce in its environment. For example, why does the animal show this behavior?

Consider the following study by William Dilger, a professor of ornithology at Cornell University. He had
studied lovebirds for many years and wanted to
learn about their breeding and social behaviors,
specifically whether the nest building behavior
was one that was learned through social
interactions or inherited as an instinct.

He observed that all species of lovebirds tear

strips from leaves to create a nest, but they
carried the strips to their nest in different ways.
The peach faced lovebird stuffs the strips into its
rump feathers; the Fisher's lovebird keeps the material held in its beak. Professor Dilger wondered what
would happen if he bred the two species together. He discovered that the hybrids were initially
incapable of building nests because they would make unsuccessful attempts at stuffing the nesting
material in their rump feathers. The birds eventually got better at keeping the material in their beaks
and were able to build nests. Amazingly, even the birds who learned to carry the twigs in their beaks
would still make a turning movement of their head, as if they were stuffing the twigs in their rump
feathers.

Question 6. Was Dilger's experiment answering proximate or ultimate questions about the birds?
Defend your choice.

Dilger’s experiment was answering a proximate question about the behavior of birds. Proximate
questions are concerned with the immediate causes of behavior (such as the genetic or environmental
factors that influence behavior), while ultimate questions are concerned with the evolutionary
significance of behavior (such as how the behavior contributes to survival or reproductive success.)

Question 7. Suggest a way Dilger could have answered his question if the birds were NOT able to breed
with one another and create a hybrid. Remember that he was answering the question about whether
the behavior was genetic (nature) or learned (nurture).

If Dilger could not observe the birds in their natural environment and they were not interacting eith one
another, he could still answer his question by conducting a cross-fostering experiment, eggs from one
species are placed in the nest of another species, so that the chicks are raised by parents of a different
species. If the behavior is learned, then the chicks should exhibit the behavior of their adoptive parents
(regardless of their genetic background). If the behavior is genetic, then the chicks should exhibit the
behavior of their biological parents (regardless of their rearing environment.)

Question 8. Certain behaviors are usually only observed in males of species. For example, urine marking,
aggressiveness, vocalizations. A study on mice shows patterns of aggressions before and after castration,
a procedure where the testes of the mice were removed.

Adapted from [Link]

The study on mice suggest that patterns of aggression may be influenced by hormonal factors (such as
testosterone), which are produced by the testes. The fact that aggression decreased after castration
(which removes the source of testosterone) suggest that the behavior is influenced by biological factors.
However, it is important to note that not all male-specific behaviors are influenced solely by hormones.
For example, some behaviors (such as courtship displays) may be influenced by both hormonal and
environmental factors.

Using the graph above, draw a conclusion about the role of testosterone and behavior.

The graph suggests that there may be a positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive
behavior in mice. Mice with higher levels of testosterone appear to be more aggressive than mice with
lower levels of testosterone.

Would this study be asking an ultimate or proximate question? Why?

This study would be asking a proximate question. Proximate questions are concerned with the
immediate causes of behavior (such as the genetic or environmental factors that influence behavior),
while ultimate questions are concerned with the evolutionary significance of behavior (such as how the
behavior contributes to survival or reproductive success).

Question 9. How can studies on mice and testosterone serve as a MODEL for understanding human
behavior?

Studies on mice and testosterone can serve as a model for understanding human behavior because
humans and mice share many similarities in terms of their physiology and behavior. For example, both
humans and mice have complex social behaviors, and both are capable of aggression. Additionally,
studies on mice can be used to investigate the effects of hormones (such as testosterone) on behavior,
which may be relevant to understanding human behavior. However, it is important to note that mice are
not identical to humans, and findings from studies on mice may not always generalize to humans.

Adapted from [Link]

Part 3: What regulates behavior?
Homeostatic mechanisms across phyla reflect both continuity due to common ancestry and change due
to evolution. In plants and animals, defense mechanisms against disruptions of dynamic homeostasis
have evolved. The timing and coordination of developmental, physiological, and behavior events are
regulated, increasing fitness of individuals and long-term survival of populations.

Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and reproduction and to maintain dynamic
homeostasis. Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments through
behavior and physiological mechanisms. In animals, these mechanisms include migration, sweating,
shivering, or going into hibernation. Organisms use negative feedback mechanisms to maintain their
internal environments by returning the changing condition back to its set point. Examples of negative
feedback responses include temperature regulation in animals, and responses to drought in plants.

Orientation is a process by which animals position themselves with respect to spatial features of their
environments. Taxis involves the turning of an animal's body relative to a stimulus either toward or
away, like the fruit flies that move in response to gravity. There are several types of taxis (geotaxis,
phototaxis, chemotaxis.)

Taxis can also be negative where the animal avoids the stimulus, or positive, where the animal moves
toward the stimulus. Kinesis is a random movement of an animal in relation to a stimulus, like
cockroaches scattering when the light is turned on.

Question 10. Brainstorm various types of taxis that can be observed in animals. Describe two that have
not been previously mentioned. What evolutionary advantage would these behaviors serve?

Taxis is a type of movement in response to a stimulus, and there are many types of taxis observed in
animals. Two types of taxis that have not been previously mentioned are phototaxis and geotaxis.
Phototaxis is the movement of an organism in response to light, while geotaxis is the movement of an
organism in response to gravity. These behaviors may serve an evolutionary advantage by allowing
organisms to move towards or away from specific environmental conditions, such as a light or the
ground, which may be beneficial for survival or reproduction.

Question 11. Consider the following example: A researcher places a dead rotting mouse on one side of a
testing chamber and then adds 10 beetles to each side of the chamber. The beetles can either choose to
go in the direction of the rotting mouse or away from the rotting mouse. The researcher than collects
data on the movements of the beetle, recording how many beetles were on which side of the chamber.

Based on the data, what can you conclude about the beetle's behavior. Do they exhibit taxis? (Assume
the numbers do not indicate random movement.)

Adapted from [Link]

Part 4: Design and Investigate
You are going to watch a video studying animal behavior using pill bugs. You will then create your own
experimental design on how you would conduct an experiment to determine if an animal exhibits taxis.

Watch Ms. Hollenbach’s experiments studying animal behavior in pill bugs.

Question 12. Before giving a stimulus for the pill bugs to react to, Ms. Hollenbach wanted to get a
baseline observation of their kinesis, their randomized behavior, for 10 minutes. Give a brief description
of what was observed?

During the 10-minute baseline observation, Ms. Hollenbach observed the pill bugs moving randomly
around the choice chamber without any particular direction or preference for one side of the chamber
over the other. The pill bugs moved around the chamber in a seemingly random pattern.

Question 13. What were the chemical stimuli Ms. Hollenbach tested and how did she setup her
experiment?

Ms. Hollenbach tested two chemical stimuli, sodium chloride (NaCl) and sucrose. To set up her
experiment, she created a choice chamber with two chambers separated by a filter paper. She then
places a piece of filter paper soaked in either NaCl or sucrose solution on opposite sides of the chamber.
Then, she placed the pill bugs in the center of the chamber and observed their movement for a set
period of time.

Question 14. What did she discover about the movement of the pill bugs in response to the chemical
stimuli?

Ms. Hollenbach discovered that pill bugs moved towards the chamber containing the sucrose solution
and away from the chamber containing the NaCl solution. This suggests that the pill bugs were able to
detect and respond to the chemical stimuli.

Question 15. Ms. Hollenbach wanted to validate her data. How did she double check her experiment to
make sure it was setup correctly?

Ms. Hollenbach double-checked her experiment by repeating the experiment multiple times and
comparing the results. This process of repeating an experiment to ensure that the results are consistent
is known as replication.

Question 16. How can she confirm her data?

She can confirm her data by analyzing the results statistically, such as by calculating measures of central
tendency or performing hypothesis testing. She can also compare her results to other studies in the
literature to see if her findings are consistent with previous research.

Question 17. You are going to design your own experiment to study animal behavior in pill bugs. For this
investigation, you will be provided with a "choice chamber". This will allow you to create two separate
environments to test a stimulus as shown in the video and the example in Part 3 of this lab. Choose a

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stimulus you want to investigate. Remember good scientists only test one variable at a time. Examples
of stimuli you can investigate are temperature, moisture, food sources, odor (ammonia), and light.

A. What is your hypothesis?

My hypothesis is that pill bugs will move towards a moist environment.
B. State how you would setup and run experiment.

To set up and run the experiment, I would first create two chambers within the choice chamber, one
moist and one dry. I would then place the pill bugs in the center of the chamber and observe their
movement for a set period of time, such as 10 minutes. I would record the number of pill bugs that
move toward the moist environment and do the same with the dry. To ensure that my experiment is
valid, I would need to control for other variables that may influence the behavior of the pill bugs, such as
temperature and light. Additionally, I would need to repeat the experiment multiple times to ensure
that my results are consistent.

Adapted from [Link]