Social Interactions
Starr/Taggarts Biology:
The Unity and Diversity of Life, Chapter 46
10e
Key Concepts:
Behavior refers to coordinated responses that an animal makes to stimuli Forms of behavior have a genetic basis Certain behaviors are instinctive and are triggered by sign stimuli The nervous system can process and retain information used to vary or change behavioral responses
Key Concepts:
Behavior has evolved by way of natural selection Evolved modes of communication underlie social behavior - communication signals Having a social group has costs and benefits
Altruistic behavior allows individuals to help others while sacrificing personal reproductive success
Decorating Behavior, Starling Nest - Trivial?
Fumigation of nests preventing mite infestation A - No sprigs in nest from wild carrots B - Sprigs in nest of wild carrots
Wild carrot sprigs reduce mite infestations
Fig 46.2
See opening essay on adaptive value of nest decorating
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Fig. 46.1, p. 826
46.1 Genes and Behavior
Nervous system
Sensory
Instinctive
Behavior not learned Cues in environment Sign stimuli Fixed action pattern
Hormones
Melatonin secretion suppresses gonads in winter Seasonal Estrogen in embryo males-> song syst.
adult banana slug
Adult coastal garter snake eating a banana slug young coastal garter snake tongue-flicking at cotton swab w/ slug fluids
Fig. 46.3, p. 828
hormones and behavior
Zebra finch
Fig. 46.4, p. 828
Male song
Song of female experimentally converted to singer
Examples of instinctive responses humans make to sign stimuli:
Smiling triggered by close-up of adult face
Older baby imitating the adult expressions
Fig. 46.5, p. 829
young European cuckoo instinctively shoving host nest egg from the nest
American cowbirds are also social parasites
Fig. 46.6, p. 829
46.2 Learned Behavior
Imprinting ; time-dependent, early in life - Konrad Lorenz - graylag geese
Classical conditioning; Ivan Pavlovs dogs
Operant conditioning; assoc voluntary activity w/ consequences from experience; toad w/ bee
Habituation; by experience, NOT to respond to neutral consequences ; city pigeons
Spatial or latent learning; mental map of environ
Insight learning; solving novel problems w/ benefit of prior experience
Classic experiments on geese imprinted to a human parent
Konrad Lorenz
Sim to Fig. 46.7, p. 830
46.3 The adaptive value of behavior (why do patterns persist?)- natural selection at work - keep these in mind
1. Reproductive success 2. Adaptive behavior 3.Social behavior 4.Selfish behavior 5. Altruistic behavior
Behavioral biologists profitably look for evidence of natural selection of the individuals traits rather than that of the species
46.4 Behavior depends on Communication Signals
Signals - varied Signalers & signal receivers Pheromones Displays - patterns
Ritualized, exagger. Threat Courtship Tactile
Acoustical
Composite signal Signals can be context - related
Illegitimate signaler or receiver - wrong party
Weve all seen this: a dog soliciting play behavior with a play bow. Any aggressive or other behavior that follows is context-related.
Fig. 46.8, p. 832
Part of a baboon threat display
Part of an albatross courtship display that features visual,tactile, acoustic signals
Fig. 46.9, p. 832
Dances of Honeybees
Tactile displays Karl von Frisch Round dance -a Waggle dance b- food further Recruits can orient its flight with respect to the sun and the hive
Fig. 46.10,p 833
46.5 & 6. Reproductive Success
Sexual selection
Quality of mate the key factor ; the females choose
Parenting - costs and benefits Benefits of social groups
Cost-benefit approach to repro. success
Cooperative predator avoidance
Selfish herd Dominance hierarchies
A nuptial present provided By the male hangfly. The larger the present, the more likely his mating success.
Fig. 46.11, p. 834
Scenes from courtship display of the sage grouse at a lek.
Fig. 46.11b, p. 834
Semi-ritualized fighting between male bison for access to a group of females
Fig. 46.12, p. 835
Fig. 46.13, p. 835
Female and male Casparian terns feeding and protecting their chicks: costs as well as benefits
47.5 & 6 Reproductive Success
Sexual selection
Quality of mate the key factor
Parenting - costs and benefits - now best
Benefits of social groups
Cost-benefit approach Cooperative predator avoidance
Selfish herd - more powerful members at center - ex. Sunfish males
Dominance hierarchies
Cooperative predator avoidance - circling the wagons approach
Fig. 46.14, p. 836
More of the same defensive behavior by sawfly caterpillars
Fig. 46.15, p. 836
Appeasement behavior between baboons: its apparent which individual is the dominant one. See essay for ch 36 on chimps.
46.6 Cost of Living in Social Groups. Why arent there more social species? Competition for food and habitat Competition for mate Spread of contagious disease and parasites
Risk of being killed or exploited by neighbors within your group
A very large colony of royal penguins on Macquarie Island between New Zealand and Antarctica
Fig. 46.16, p. 837
46.7 Evolution of Altruism
In the wolf pack: Provide youth with prey Defend feeding territories Drive off intruders
Theory of Indirect Selection
William Hamilton- shared genes of relatives Self - sacrifice genes
Honeybees - see fig 46.18
Termites - see fig 46.17 for details Naked mole-rat clans - see module 46.8
Individuals in a wolfpack , for ex., are related
46.9 An Evolutionary View of Human Social behavior
Adaptations have costs and benefits Adoption
Redirection of behavior Adoption of related children greater than that of non-related ones in traditional societies Perpetuation of genes
Evolutionary hypotheses about the adaptive value of behavior can be tested & we gain understanding @ human behavior
Two adult emperor penguins competing to adopt an orphan
Fig. 46.20, p. 841
In Conclusion
Animal behavior originates with genes that
specify products required for the development and operation of different systems
A behavior performed without having been
learned by actual experience is instinctive
Experiences can lead to variations or
changes in responses
In Conclusion
Behavior with a genetic basis is subject to
evolution and natural selection
Members of the same species can create
obstacles to one anothers reproductive success
Social groups require cooperative
interdependency among individuals of a species
In Conclusion
Chemical, visual, acoustical and tactile
signals are components of communication displays
Costs and benefits of social life are
reflected in the individuals reproductive success
Social groups have costs as well as
benefits
In Conclusion
Altruistic behavior limits chances of
reproduction by helping others of their social groups
Dominance in a social group forces
subordinates to relinquish resources
Genes associated with caring for relatives
can be favored in some cases
developed by M. Roig
