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Chapters 51 & 52 – Animal Behavior and Ecology - Coggle Diagram
Chapters 51 & 52 – Animal Behavior and Ecology
Genetic and Environmental Influences
Innate behavior → developmentally fixed, independent of experience
Learned behavior → modified by experience
Behavioral traits → shaped by both genes + environment
Example: twin studies, cross-fostering experiments
Types of Behavior
Fixed Action Pattern (FAP)
→ unlearned, innate behavior triggered by specific stimulus
→ once initiated, carried to completion (e.g., goose rolling egg)
Migration
→ regular, long-distance change in location
→ guided by celestial cues, magnetic fields, landmarks
Behavioral Rhythms
→ circadian (daily), circannual (yearly) cycles
→ influenced by light/dark, seasons, tides
Communication
→ transmission and reception of signals
→ types: visual, auditory, chemical (pheromones), tactile
→ Example: honeybee waggle dance
Innate Releasing Mechanisms (Sign Stimuli)
→ trigger specific responses
Learning & Experience
Habituation → decreased response to repeated stimulus
Imprinting → learning during critical period, irreversible (e.g., goslings follow first moving object)
Spatial learning → memory of environment layout (cognitive map)
Associative learning → link between stimulus & outcome
classical conditioning (Pavlov)
operant conditioning (trial-and-error)
Cognition → problem solving, reasoning
seen in corvids, primates, dolphins
Social learning → behavior learned by observing others (e.g., tool use in chimpanzees)
Behavioral Ecology and Evolution
Foraging behavior
→ food search & acquisition
→ Optimal foraging theory: cost-benefit balance between energy gained & expended
Mating behavior
→ influenced by parental investment & sexual selection
Monogamy (pair bond) vs Polygamy (multiple partners)
polygyny (one male, many females)
polyandry (one female, many males)
Certainty of paternity influences care behavior
Mate choice
Intersexual selection: mate choice based on traits
Intrasexual selection: competition between same-sex individuals
Sexual dimorphism → different traits between males/females due to mating pressures
Social Behavior and Altruism
Social behaviors → cooperation, conflict, dominance hierarchies
Altruism → reduces individual fitness but increases group/kin fitness
Kin selection → favoring relatives increases inclusive fitness
Reciprocal altruism → help unrelated individuals with expectation of return benefit
Ecology
Levels of ecological study:
→ Organismal → physiology & behavior
→ Population → group of individuals, same species, same area
→ Community → interacting species
→ Ecosystem → energy + nutrient flow between organisms & environment
→ Landscape → mosaics of ecosystems
→ Global → biosphere-level patterns (climate, biomes)
study of interactions between organisms and their environment
Climate and Earth’s Systems
Climate
→ long-term patterns of temperature, precipitation, sunlight, wind
→ major influence on distribution of organisms
Abiotic factors:
Temperature
Water
Sunlight
Wind
Rocks & soil
Biotic factors:
Predators
Competitors
Symbionts
Food availability
Global Climate Patterns
Solar radiation → drives atmospheric circulation and ocean currents
→ tropics: high sunlight, high precipitation
→ poles: low sunlight, cold/dry
Earth’s tilt and orbit → cause seasons
Hadley cells → air circulation pattern (warm air rises at equator → cools → sinks at 30°)
Coriolis effect → causes curved wind/ocean patterns
Regional & Local Climate Influences
Bodies of water → moderate temperature
Mountains → create rain shadows (wet windward, dry leeward)
Microclimate → small-scale variations (shade, elevation, soil moisture)
Climate change:
shifts in temperature & precipitation alter species distributions
Biomes
major life zones characterized by vegetation type & physical environment
Terrestrial biomes:
Tropical forest → high diversity, rainfall
Desert → low rainfall, temperature extremes
Savanna → seasonal rainfall, grasses
Chaparral → dry summers, fire-adapted shrubs
Temperate grassland → cold winters, rich soils
Temperate broadleaf forest → seasonal, deciduous trees
Coniferous forest (taiga) → cold, northern latitudes
Tundra → permafrost, low plants, short growing season
Aquatic biomes:
Freshwater (lakes, rivers, wetlands)
Marine (oceans, coral reefs, estuaries)
Zonation (in aquatic biomes):
→ Photic vs Aphotic (light penetration)
→ Pelagic vs Benthic (open water vs bottom)
→ Littoral/Limnetic zones (freshwater regions)
Estuaries → where freshwater meets saltwater
Coral reefs → diverse, sensitive to temperature/pH