• Ethology is the study

of Behavioral Biology

• Ethology~ study of animal behavior. (Aggregate of all responses,

movements and reactions in an organism)

• Ultimate cause of behaviors is????

• 5 Main types of classified behaviors studied most often:

• TYPE 1 (Innate or instinctual) behaviors include (There are 4 sub

categories here):

– A) Sign Stimulus Behaviors~ external sensory stimulus causes an

unchangeable response. Known as fixed action patterns. (FAP)

– B) Imprinting Behaviors~ during a critical period, the young identify

and respond to specific stimulus.

– C) Reflex Behaviors~ automatic behaviors

– D) Orientation Behaviors- kinesis=random movement,

taxis=purposeful towards or away from stimuli and migration

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfcGZC

GdGVE

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihh1xBX

wt_0

TYPE 2 Behaviors that occur as a result of Learning. (Learned

behaviors)

These behaviors can be affected by;

Maturation-behavior increase due to developing physiological ability. (Brain

development) AND/OR

Habituation~ behavior decrease due to loss of responsiveness to stimuli that

convey no information.

• There are two sub categories again here of Type 2 behaviors;

• A) Abstract learning: complex, higher order learned behaviors based on

reasoning (insight learning)

• B) Associative learning:

•classical conditioning~ Pavlov’s dogs

•operant conditioning (trial and error)~ “Skinner’s box”

• Thanks Muneeb!

TYPE 3 ~ Social behaviors:

There are 3 main categories:

• Agonistic behavior~ contest behaviors

determining access to resources,

submission/aggression

• Dominance hierarchy behavior ~

“pecking order”, alpha males and females

• Territoriality behavior~ an area an

individual defends excluding others

• The Mating system drives social

behaviors:

• •promiscuous~ no strong pair bonds

• •monogamous~ one male/one female

• polygyny~ one male/many females

polyandry~ one female/many males

QuickTime™ and aCinepak decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sA1c1WErUk&feature=fvwrel

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzQDJY-oaGY

Type 4 ~Non-mating behaviors

• Migration

• Hunting

• Safety

Type 5 ~Altruistic behavior• Altruism~ a behavior that

results in the survival of someone

else

• Coefficient of

relatedness~ proportion of

genes that are identical because

of common ancestors, more

closely related you are the more

altruistic you are

• Reciprocal altruism~ Done

in the hopes of exchange of aid

• Cooperation!

What is the “human” spark?

• Human exclusive

behaviors?

Tool usage?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrPb41

hzYdw

Language?• Colobus Monkeys have been recorded

understanding and using the dialect of up to 8

different species in communal areas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUCoLeI5Qxg

Self recognition?

Cooperation and sense of

fairness?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BYJf

2xSONc

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wm

UyOyM0m0

Science currently tells us

• It’s our greater ability to form and recognize

relationships (most complex social

networks in the animal kingdom) ,and the

practice of true teaching that has given us

a huge cooperative advantage!

• Why those 2 things?

Encephalic quotient

• Brain mass to lean

muscle mass

• More dynamic

social

settings=increase

neural plasticity

How is “intelligence” measured?

• Ability to not repeat errors

• Build on existing idea

• Predict & Analyze

• Control or change surroundings

• Ask “why?”

• Symbiosis and human intelligence?

• Domestication of the dog