Learned and Innate Behaviours

Compare the strengths and weakness of learned and innate behaviour in Wild Animals.

Innate; Advantage of Speed, No mistakes, Less need for parental care
Learned; Adaptability, Flexibility

Flash Memory example;
One trial learning, example; Bee and toad imprinting

Working Memory;
Looking for prey. Example; Eagle and Mouse

Non-declarative Memory;
Skills Memory, Example Human learning to ride a bike

Declarative Memory
Learning a fact about something.


Types of Learning;

Non-Associative - habituation

Association;
- Imprinting
- Classical conditioning
- Operant Conditioning


THE SIMPLEST FORM OF LEARNING IS HABITUATION;

-Reduced response to constant or repetitive stimulus
-Makes sense from an information theory perspective
-Different from sensory adaptation
- In simple organisms the neural mechanism is pretty well understood

Co-Evolution

What is Co- Evolution?

In biology, Co-Evolution occurs when changes in at 2 or more species genetics compositions reciprocally affect each others evolution.
I.e. the Bird and the Flowers, The Spider crab and the Alga, The bacteria and the Humans.

Types of Animal Interactions

• Phoresis
• Comensalism
• Mutualism
• Parasitism
• Predator Vs Prey
• Competition

 

PHORESIS.

In biology, the term phoresis is an inter-species biological interaction in ecology and refers to a form of symbiosis where the symbiont, termed the phoront, is mechanically transported by its host. Neither organism is physiologically dependent on the other.
Example; mosquitos take small amount of blood from humans neither is helped nor harmed but travelled with.

figure 1; Mosquito showing its taking blood

COMENSALISM

Comensalism is a relationship between two organisms where one receives a benefit or benefits from the other and the other is not affected by it.
I.e. Pilot Fish live round shark to eat the parasites that came of them, Some Orchards live on trees not harming them etc

Figure 2; Pilot Fish Live round sharks to eat the parasites around them
not affecting the shark

MUTUALISM

Symbiotic interaction between different species that is mutually beneficial
I.e. The Bee and the Flower, Monkey and Fruit.

Figure 3. Mutualism as there is a benefit for both the pollen gets transported across
the ecosystem and the insect gets it usage of pollen to produce what it needs to

PARASITISM

In biology/ecology, parasitism is a non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species, where one species, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite (in biological usage) referred primarily to organisms visible to the naked eye, or macroparasites (such as helminths).
I.e. Bed bug, ring worm, Tape worm.

Figure 4. Mites on dogs are a Parasitism, the dog is not benefiting and the mite can not
been seen with the naked eye 

PREDATOR VS PREY

In an ecosystem, predation is a biological interaction where a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey (the organism that is attacked). this is a relationship where an organism is likely to not survive.
I.e gazelle vs lion, Birds vs Butterfly, fox vs Rabbit

Figure 5. Fox Vs Rabbit

COMPETITION

Competition is an interaction between organisms or species in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another. Limited supply of at least one resource (such as food, water, and territory) used by both can be a factor.
I.e, the Fight between bacteria and humans, grass and sheep.



Figure 6. All the Competition in one comic stripe

Plant-Plant Interactions

• Inhabitation
• Competition (As above)
• Facilitation

Further Reading;

Morris, J., Hartl, D., Knoll, A. and Lue, R. (n.d.). Biology.