Biology 441: Animal Behavior

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Biology 441 Animal Behavior

• Introductions
• Notecards
• Course Mechanics
• Syllabus expectations
• Content What is Ethology?

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Semantics
• Ethology vs. Animal Behavior vs. Behavioral
  Ecology

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is Ethology?
• Ethos habit

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is Ethology?
• Def. The biological study of animal behavior

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is Ethology?
• Def. The biological study of animal behavior
• Better def. The study of animal behavior using
  the scientific method

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is animal behavior?

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is animal behavior?
• All observable or otherwise measurable muscular
  or secretory responses (or lack thereof) in
  response to changes in an animals internal or
  external environment

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is animal behavior?
• All observable or otherwise measurable muscular
  or secretory responses (or lack thereof) in
  response to changes in an animals internal or
  external environment
• AKA WHAT ANIMALS DO

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What is animal behavior?
• A more poetic answer
• The study of behavior encompasses all of the
  movements and sensations by which animals and men
  mediate their relationship with their external
  environments -- physical, biotic and social. No
  scientific field is more complex, and none is
  more central to human problems and aspirations.
• Alexander 197577

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Why study behavior?

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Why study behavior?
• Animals good models for understanding
  ourselves
  
• Behavior, neurobiology
• Animal conservation, endangered species
• Practical farm animals, pest species control,
  disease prevention, pets
  
• Management of animals in captivity
• Curiosity!

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Are we all amateur behaviorists?

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Quote from pet counselor in Ohio
• Its wonderful anyone can be a behaviorist
  no degree or formal training is necessary. I just
  do it.

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• The problem with amateur behaviorists
• Perceptual bias
• Anthropomorphism

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Bias Behavior

• Humans often see what we expect to see

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Why do we make this mistake?

• Our minds contain a model of the universe. Our
  experience (e.g., vision) is allowed to update
  it, but only in certain ways.
  
• We cant avoid it we are born with a model
  already in place!

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Bias Behavior

• Humans often see what we expect to see
• Aristotle and teeth
• See pattern where no pattern exists
• Human anthropomorphize
• Ascribe human characteristics to things not
  human
  
• Attribute conscious thought to animals too
  quickly
  
• e.g. Wilhelm Von-Osten and Clever Hans

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• What makes a professional behaviorist?
• Proper use of the scientific method

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Scientific Method (review)
• 1.

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Scientific Method (review)
• 1. Observations
• 2.

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Scientific Method (review)
• 1. Observations
• 2. Questions

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Scientific Method (review)
• 1. Observations
• 2. Questions
• 3. Hypotheses
• 4.

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Scientific Method (review)
• 1. Observations
• 2. Questions
• 3. Hypotheses
• 4. Tests (experiments)
• 5.

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• Scientific Method (review)
• 1. Observations
• 2. Questions
• 3. Hypotheses
• 4. Tests (experiments)
• 5. Interpretation
• Hypothesis supported or refuted?
• Alternative hypotheses?

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Introduction to Animal Behavior

• The problem with professional behaviorists
• Perceptual bias still possible
• The Mask of Theory and the Face of Nature
• Rarely does it become possible for the scientist
  to step back, examine the social preconditions
  that have led to the construction of the mask of
  theory, and ask Why have I interpreted the
  natural world the way I have? What elements of my
  culture made one interpretation obvious and
  believable, but not another?

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Amateur Video

• Battle at Kruger
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vLU8DDYz68kM