BISC 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Instinct, Neural Pathway, Behavioral Ecology

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BISC 102
• Professor: Erin Barley

Document Summary

Pro(cid:454)i(cid:373)ate e(cid:454)pla(cid:374)atio(cid:374): (cid:373)e(cid:272)ha(cid:374)isti(cid:272) e(cid:454)pla(cid:374)atio(cid:374) of a(cid:374)i(cid:373)al (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iours; (cid:862)ho(cid:449)(cid:863) Avoid crowding neighbours (separation: steer towards the same direction as others (alignment, move towards the middle position of the neighbours (cohesion) Ulti(cid:373)ate e(cid:454)pla(cid:374)atio(cid:374): e(cid:448)olutio(cid:374)ar(cid:455) e(cid:454)pla(cid:374)atio(cid:374) of a(cid:374)i(cid:373)al (cid:271)eha(cid:448)iours; (cid:862)(cid:449)h(cid:455)(cid:863) Ex/ why do starlings flock: flocks = more efficient at feeding + avoiding predators => an individual has better chance of surviving in a flock than being alone. Behaviour = a response to a stimulus mediated by the nervous system. Stimulus (external (touch, smell, sound) or internal (hunger, fatigue)) neural pathway (processed in ganglia or brain) response (action of muscles or glands) fixed or plastic. Innate behaviour: inherited => genetically determined; fixed (does not vary between individuals: ex/ eating when hungry, shivering when cold. Learned behaviour: strong experience + environment; responses develop/change according to the environmental stimuli: ex/ raining: hiding under something and not moving using umbrella to move around in rain using waterproof clothes. Most behaviours = innate + learned component.