Organisms Exchange Information

EK 3.E.1 Individuals can act on information and

communicate it to others

Organisms respond to internal changes and external cues, which can change behaviorFlight or Flight

Response

Watch this...http://youtu.be/RyP8L3qTW9Q

Organisms respond to internal changes and external cues, which can change behaviorPredator

WarningsAposematic

coloration – bright colors warn others of poison/toxin/deadly nature of organism

Organisms respond to internal changes and external cues, which can change behavior

Protection of youngHerds, flocks, and

schools – shield their young and/or mob their predator

Altruistic behavior: animals that risk their own life to protect their young – insuring their genes are passed on = evolutionary success

Organisms respond to internal changes and external cues, which can change behaviorPlant – plant & Plant -

predator interaction due to herbivory Studies have shown that

plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air as a consequence of damage to tissues (possible destroying vacuoles where VOCs are stored)

Hi VOCs concentrations attract herbivore predators = indirect defense

Possibility that plants can communicate via VOCs (intra-plant and inter-plant)

Organisms respond to internal changes and external cues, which can change behaviorAvoidance Responses

Avoid behaviors that could have aversive responses

Food aversionsLearning to avoid

electric fences

Communication occurs through various mechanismsTerritorial marking in

mammals change the behavior of mammals of the same speciesMany male mammals

spray urine throughout their territories (especially along their borders) to warn other animals of the same species to keep out; communicate via a chemical signal

Communication occurs through various mechanisms Coloration in flowers can change the

behavior of other organisms… Bees base their color vision on ultra

violet, blue and green. It is also thought that bees prefer different shades of blues, whites, and purple flowers.

Bees cannot see red. Flower petals have Ultra Violet patterns on them, not visible to humans in normal light, but visible to bees. The patterns are believed to guide the bees onto the flower.

In general, it’s believed that swathes of color are also more helpful to foraging bees and butterflies, providing a stronger visual signal that suggests ‘plenty of food here

http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/flower-pollination.html

Communication occurs through various mechanismsBees perform dances

that provide information about the location of food. The dances can occur inside dark hives – so communication depends on tactile, chemical and auditory cues

http://youtu.be/4NtegAOQpSs

Communication occurs through various mechanismsSounds are

commonly used to communicate over long distances, through water, and at night

Songs of male birds provide for species recognition, a display to attract mates and a warning to other males of territorial boundaries

http://youtu.be/DsQnRnE-W8A

Communication occurs through various mechanismsPacks communicate to…

allows members to successfully corner and attack large prey

insures successful care and feeding of young

helps members to defend common territory

Wolves make threatening gestures by staring and baring their teeth.

Communication occurs through various mechanismsHerds, Flocks, and

Schools provide several advantages:Concealment – most

individuals in the flock are hidden from view

Vigilance – individuals can trade off foraging and watching for predators

Defense – a group of individuals can shield their young or mob their predator

Communication occurs through various mechanismsColony and swarming behavior

Swarm behavior is a collective behavior exhibited by animals of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving en masse or migrating in some direction (also called flocking, herding, schooling, blooms, etc…)

It is an emergent behavior with small simple subunits working together to make something much larger and complex

Responses to information & communication of information are vital to natural selection & evolutionMigration is the

long-distance, seasonal movement of animals. It is usually in response to seasonal availability of food or degradation of environmental conditions

Responses to information & communication of information are vital to natural selection & evolutionCourtship and mating

behaviors Elaborate visual

displays of dances, aggression, etc…

Calls and Songs to attract mates

Emit pheromones into the air to attract mates

http://youtu.be/gTkUHdCF848

Responses to information & communication of information are vital to natural selection & evolutionForaging in Bees and

other animalsSearching for and

exploiting food resources; can be done alone or in groups

Search images help animals find favored or plentiful food

The bee dance can indicate proximity of food source (distance and direction) – bees communicate to hive

Olive Baboons – forage for food; young learn proper foraging techniques from elders

Responses to information & communication of information are vital to natural selection & evolutionAvoidance behavior to

electric fences, poisons and traps

Associative learning occurs when an animal recognizes that two or more events are connected

Cryptic coloration – blending in to avoid predation, catch prey, etc…

http://www.boredpanda.com/amazing-animal-camouflage-photos/

Responses to information & communication of information are vital to natural selection & evolutionCooperative behavior

tends to increase the fitness of the individual and the survival of the populationPack BehaviorHerd, Flock and

Schooling BehaviorPredator WarningColony and Swarming

behavior in InsectsParental care for young

Responses to information & communication of information are vital to natural selection & evolutionPredator Warning

Example – Belding’s ground squirrels give alarm calls (whistles) that warn other squirrels that a predator is approaching.

Altruistic Behavior – seemingly unselfish behavior that appears to reduce the fitness of the individual but ultimately increases the fitness of the group