PSYO 2160 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Genetics, Fish, Ethology
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
PSYO 2160
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Introduction to Animal Behaviour
September 11 & 14, 2015
What is animal behaviour?
• Scientific study of how and why animals behave the way they do
o Who looks after the young? (mother, father, both, neither)
o Why do animals fight?
o Why do most animals have a smaller brain than humans
• Use both evolutionary theory and behavioral physiology
Topics:
• Evolution/natural selection
• Sexual selection
• Mating systems
Why study animal behaviour?
• Interest in species/taxon
o e.g. Apes/ants
• Interest in processes
o e.g. reproductive suppression in marmosets, fear/boldness in coyotes, theory of
mind in apes
• Interest in patterns
o e.g. grooming behaviour in Voles, play in elephant nose fish
• Interest in broad questions in relation to animals
o e.g. conservation, development, evolution, parasitology, etc
• Establish general rules regulating behaviour
• Determine how best to preserve endangered species
• Control economically important pests
• Develop better conditions for domestic animals and animals in zoos
Applications of Animal Behaviour
• Behavioral technologies or specialized training: service dogs
• Animal sciences, zootechnology, agronomy, aquaculture
• Behavioral veterinary medicine
• Pet-assisted therapy (zootherapy), pet-companionship & assistantship programs, pet
(pyscho)therapy
• Animal welfare
• Conservation
Project ORCON
Forensic Entomology:
Sexton or burying beetles: Nicophorus orbicollis
Carrion beetles: Necrophila Americana
Three Major Fields of Animal Biology
1. Psychology: animal (comparative) psychology
2. Biology: behavioural biology
• Ethology
• Sociobiology
• Behavioural ecology
3. Anthropology
• Biological or physical anthropology
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Primatology
• Athrozoology (study of human-animal relationship)
Ethology
• Observation direct and description of animals in their natural normal or semi-natural
habiata and environment
• Usually over long periods of time (tendency towards longitudinal studies_.
• Historically inductive
• Traditional/classic definition: the study of species-specific (or species-typical) behaviours.
i.e. behavioural patterns that are specific to a species or a group of related species
Sociobiology
• Historically controversial
• Critics drew parallels to eugenics
• Hybrid between Ethology (with a focus on ultimate questions) and Ecology (social
systems/mating systems) with an increased interest in evolution (more than ethology),
genetics, population biology/ecology
*see page 24 – interview with E.O. Wilson
Behavioural Ecology
• Born from sociobiology and influenced by comparative animal psychology, e.g.: optimal
foraging theory, population regulation, predator-prey relations
• Background of behavioural ecologists: zoology, ecology or evolutionary biology
• Interactions with the environment (physical, social, inter specific) are crucial
• Can have social focus: socioecology
• Survival value of behaviour/fitness: focus on functions
Approaches to Studying Animal Behaviour
• Conceptual approaches (ex. Kin selection)
• Empirical approaches (ex. Experimental vs. Observational)
• Theoretical approaches (ex. Optimality theory or Game theory)
The 4 Legs of Animal Behaviour: Tinbergen
1. Mechanism
2. Development
Proximate/proximal (HOW?)
3. Evolutionary/Phylogenetic
4. Survival Value
Ultimate/distal (WHY?)
Proximate Questions vs. Ultimate Questions
• Both perspectives needed to understand animal behaviour
• Proximate questions – mechanisms. How behaviour accomplished (e.g. sensory systems,
hormones, physical cues)
• Ultimate questions – evolutionary significance. How behaviour benefits individual’s ability to
survive and reproduce
For example, why do deer grow antlers?
• Proximate (how): hormones
• Ultimate (why): to win fights during fall rut
o Winning fights increases number of offspring sired
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Interest in processes: e. g. reproductive suppression in marmosets, fear/boldness in coyotes, theory of mind in apes. Interest in patterns: e. g. grooming behaviour in voles, play in elephant nose fish. Applications of animal behaviour (cid:498)behavioral technologies(cid:499) or specialized training: service dogs: animal sciences, zootechnology, agronomy, aquaculture, behavioral veterinary medicine, pet-assisted therapy (zootherapy), pet-companionship & assistantship programs, pet (pyscho)therapy, animal welfare, conservation. Three major fields of animal biology: psychology: animal (comparative) psychology, biology: behavioural biology, ethology, behavioural ecology. Sociobiology: anthropology, biological or physical anthropology, primatology, athrozoology (study of human-animal relationship) Sociobiology: historically controversial, critics drew parallels to eugenics, hybrid between ethology (with a focus on ultimate questions) and ecology (social systems/mating systems) with an increased interest in evolution (more than ethology), genetics, population biology/ecology. Behavioural ecology: born from sociobiology and influenced by comparative animal psychology, e. g. : optimal foraging theory, population regulation, predator-prey relations.
