ENWC201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Whooping Crane, Behavioral Ecology, Cougar
15 Jun 2018
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Department
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Behavior: the actions or reactions of an organism in response to external or
internal stimuli
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Behavioral ecology:
The study of:
The ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior
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The roles of behavior in enabling animals to adapt to their
ecological niches
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Various types of behavior
Learned behavior
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Innate rhythms
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Reproductive behaviors
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Social behavior
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Habitat selection and territorial behaviors
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Group behaviors
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Learned behavior
Range from simple behavioral changes to complex problem solving
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Some involve a combination of innate behaviors and experience
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Imprinting: learning limited to a specific critical period in life and is
generally irreversible
Whooping crane imprinting
Switched eggs between cranes and sandhill birds, yes the
birds would migrate together but wouldn’t mate together
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To get sandhilld to mate with sandhills, humans dressed as
cranes and handled them when they were born
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Finally mated together, then humans flew with the birds to
teach them to migrate
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Stabilized the eastern migratory population which was dying,
now at about 102 birds
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Innate rhythms
Circadian rhythms
Circadian: approximately one day
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Daily activity patterns of animals with a regular pattern of about 24
hours
Feeding, sleeping, singing□
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Adjusted by external cues
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Tarsier = nocturnal
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Ostrich = diurnal
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Mountain lion = crepuscular
Active around dawn and dusk□
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Circannual cycles
Circannual: approximately one year
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Seasonal behavioral patterns
Molting (birds), breeding, hibernation, and migration□
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Influenced by day length (photoperiod)
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Migration
Periodic movements from one location to another
Example: breeding areas
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Response to changing resources
Food, water
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Reproductive behaviors
Courtship
Physical characteristics along with ritualized displays and behaviors
to increase intraspecific recognition
Visual or auditory□
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Blue-footed booby
Raise their feet to let their partner know they are also a blue
footed booby. Also, the more blue they are, the better access
to resources
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Bowerbird
Changes the shape of their pupil□
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Superb lyrebird
Mimick sounds□
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Clark's grebe
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Mating systems
Monogamy: pair bond with a single member of the opposite
sex
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Polygamy: Bonds with many members of the opposite sex
Polyandry: females associate with many males
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Polygyny: males mate with several females
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Social behavior
Behavior directed towards, or taking place between, members of the
same species
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Communication: provokes a response without acting directly on the
receiver
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Helpful behavior
Often within family groups, but also sometimes unrelated
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Altruism
Putting yourself at risk for the benefit of someone else
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Ex animals making an alarm call
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Habitat selection and territorial behaviors
Habitat selection
Choose a habitat offering the best success
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Some defend areas that are better than others
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Territorial behavior
Home range: area included in the daily seasonal and annual travers
of an animal
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Territory: area defended by an individual/group against intrusion by
others of the same species (smaller than home range
Ensures appropriate spacing for available food and resources
in the habitat
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Group behavior
Kin selection:
Natural selection operating on the interactions between closely
related cooperating individuals
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Call more when they are close to relatives
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Territorality
Territorial behavior
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Thermoregulation
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Predator avoidance
Confusion
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Dilution
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Predator detection
"many eyes" hypothesis
Group predator vigilance increases□
Faster predator detection□
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Finding food
Group searching for food
Cooperation among members
predators
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Animal Behavior
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
3:32 PM
Document Summary
Behavior: the actions or reactions of an organism in response to external or internal stimuli. The ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior. The roles of behavior in enabling animals to adapt to their ecological niches. Range from simple behavioral changes to complex problem solving. Some involve a combination of innate behaviors and experience. Imprinting: learning limited to a specific critical period in life and is generally irreversible. Switched eggs between cranes and sandhill birds, yes the birds would migrate together but wouldn"t mate together. To get sandhilld to mate with sandhills, humans dressed as cranes and handled them when they were born. Finally mated together, then humans flew with the birds to teach them to migrate. Stabilized the eastern migratory population which was dying, now at about 102 birds. Daily activity patterns of animals with a regular pattern of about 24. Daily activity patterns of animals with a regular pattern of about 24 hours.
