Animal Behavior2009, 13 rebmevoN Objective:

SWBAT explain how animals respond to selected stimuli

SWBAT explain how behavior leads to survival to the species

Catalyst: How do analogous structures support evolution? How do homologous structures support evolution? How do transitional fossils support evolution?

Agenda

Catalyst Big theme of today Phototropism Cuckoo Birds

Behavior

What am I talking about?

Talking during class? No, but stop it.

Behavior is the response to internal and external stimuli by an organism

Stimulus- something that causes a behavior

Animal Behavior

Key Point #1: Organisms respond to stimuli in a way to increase their fitness in their environment

Big theme of today

How does the behavior increase the survival of itself or its species?

I will give you 5 examples. After each, I want you to write a couple of sentences about why this behavior increases the chances of survival for itself or the species. This is your classwork for the day

Plant Behavior???

Phototropism- Growth of plant in response to light Many plants will grow towards the

direction of the light

Light-Left No light All around Light

Phototropism

Why would a plant go through phototropism?

Journal #1: Explain how plants react to the stimulus of light.

Explain why this behavior increases fitness in this environment.

Types of Behavior

Key Point #2: There are two general types of behaviors:

innate and learned.

Innate behavior- behaviors under genetic control Instincts

Learned behavior-behavior that occurs because of experience

Brood Parasitism

A type of parasitism where an organism tricks another into raising its young

Cuckoo video Journal #2:

What are TWO examples of innate behavior in this video?

Does the mother laying the egg in the other bird’s nest increase the survival of the species? How?

Learned Behavior: Imprinting Imprinting- Rapid learning that occurs at

young age during a critical period of development. Humans have a certain age where they need

to be exposed to sights and sounds otherwise they will lose the ability to see and hear

Baby geese (and other birds) imprint the first thing they see as their mother and follow her (or it) around after that

Fly Away Home

Journal #3: Why is imprinting a learned behavior?

Why does this behavior increase fitness?

Migration

What happens in this movie?

Is this learned or innate?

Insight

Insight – the ability to solve unfamiliar problems in a new situation

Ex: Chimpanzee and Bananas

Didn’t find that video…

Look at insight in pigeons in a similar task

Journal #4: Why is this behavior a learned

behavior? Why does it increase fitness?

Territorial Behavior

Territorial behavior- Animals try to protect their territory to enhance survival. Sometimes it occurs over food, shelter, or mates

Kangaroos

Eastern Grey Kangaroos have a system where there is one dominant male. This one dominant male mates with most of the females around, because it proved to be the most powerful. Sometimes, as the dominant kangaroo ages, challengers will come to try and take the dominant spot…

Kangaroo battle video

Stop and Jot it Like its Hot

Journal #5: Why would kangaroos go through the stress of fighting?

What happens to the losing kangaroos?

Exit Question

Pick one of the 5 behaviors we saw today. Explain why this behavior increases fitness in that environment.