BIOL 1020U Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Bombyx Mori, Adaptive Learning, Konrad Lorenz
Animal Behaviour Lecture
Textbook Reference: Chapter 45 in Biology How Life Works (2nd ed.)
Sections 45.1 and 45.3; pp.981 to 992
Tinbergen’s Questions
•Why does an animal exhibit a particular behavior?
1. Causation
2. Development
3. Adaptation
4. Evolutionary history
•Causation
»Focus on physiological mechanisms causing
behaviour – multiple answers
•Development
»Focus on role of genes and env. In shaping
development of behaviour
•Adaptive Function
How does the behaviour promote individuals ability to survive and reproduce?
•Evolutionary History
How did the behaviour evolve over time?
Example: Why does a bird sing?
oCausation and light cause birds to sing
oPhysiological – syrinx(tissue and cartilage) – air
passes over and causes bird to sing
oDevelopmental – birds sing by learning song
from mainly the father – they peep when born,
and develop own song by listening to parents
an added their own sounds
oAdaptive – sing to attract mate – defines
territory ( the more you sing, the more mates you attract to pass on traits)
oEvolutionary – have noises been modified over time? Were the songs the
same as the ancestors? – look at shape and evolution of syrinx
Innate Behaviors
•The influence of genes is especially clear in innate behaviors
•What are innate behaviours?
Influence genes especially clear in innate behaviours – instinctive and carried out
regardless of earlier experiences
•E.g. Bombyx (silkworm moth) attracted to female-produced pheromone
-not learned behaviour
1
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-genes encode molecular receptors to
which pheromones bind (cascade of
events) – carried throw wind – when
binded causes neural pathways to fire –
can detect high concentrations and goes
to where female is located – hardwired
and innate
Fixed Action Patterns (FAP)
What is an FAP?
Sequence of behaviours that once triggered is followed through to completion
Example: Tinbergen’s classic goose egg straying from nest:
Will role egg with beak – will keep doing the behaviour even if there is no egg there –
neural pathways triggered and behaviour continues without present stimulus
Key stimulus = response of goose to egg that has fallen from nest
FAP = behaviour followed through to completion
Supernormal stimulus = exaggerated response
FAP - Courtship Displays
2
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Document Summary
Textbook reference: chapter 45 in biology how life works (2nd ed. ) Sections 45. 1 and 45. 3; pp. 981 to 992. Tinbergen"s questions: why does an animal exhibit a particular behavior, causation, development, adaptation, evolutionary history. Look at shape and evolution of syrinx. The influence of genes is especially clear in innate behaviors. Influence genes especially clear in innate behaviours instinctive and carried out regardless of earlier experiences: e. g. Genes encode molecular receptors to which pheromones bind (cascade of events) carried throw wind when binded causes neural pathways to fire can detect high concentrations and goes to where female is located hardwired and innate. Sequence of behaviours that once triggered is followed through to completion. Example: tinbergen"s classic goose egg straying from nest: Will role egg with beak will keep doing the behaviour even if there is no egg there neural pathways triggered and behaviour continues without present stimulus. Key stimulus = response of goose to egg that has fallen from nest.
