March 2022 Edition!

Ethology & Neuroscience Ethology is the term used to study animal behavior. This means that the person who studies ethology is known as an; ethologist. Scientists who study the behavior of animals and work with animals know when they are in a certain mood. This knowledge will help scientists who breed animals to know when it is their mating season based on signs and symptoms displayed by the animal. Ethologist do believe that the secrets to how an animal behave is dependent upon the animal’s gene (Grandin & Deesing, 2013). Then and there, ethologist have a different point of view of belief than the founder of “Behaviorism”, J.B. Watson (1930). Ethologists believe that firstly, identifying the genotype and phenotype of animals which lead them to observe their genes to discover and figure out why animals behave a particular way. Neuroscience helps to defend or co-relates with Darwin’s point of view as it relates to his theory or belief on emotions in animals. From this, scientist looked at brain systems that control emotions. The four main emotional systems located in the subcortical areas of the brain are; FEAR, RAGE, PANIC and SEEKING (Grandin & Deesing, 2013). Scientists discovered that these emotional systems in the brain show or explain animals behavior or those that looked deeply into things and realized the differences between an animal’s and a human’s brain. This is how the sub-topic “Neuroscience”, comes about and how it’s relates to the information discussed.

Young animals raised in separate environments can have an effect on the development of their nervous system of the animals. For example; wild animals are mostly reared in wild areas or woodlands, deserts etc. These animals are mostly prone to being wild or more active than animals raised in a zoo (enclose area), house (pets) etc. Animals reared in a household, their behaviors are generally different than those raised in the field where all other animals are and entangles with multiple different animal, observing and attracting their behaviors. An Animal’s behavior is dependent upon a lot of factors, it can also be the case where they live in the field or woodland amongst many different or same species. These animals tend to behave wilder, aggressive, etc. This is why the scientist discovers that the environment can play a major factor on the development of an animal’s nervous system. Animal’s behavior can be due to a whole lot of factors. Animals do produce hormones that are somewhat similar to those produces or secretes in a human’s body especially for mammalians. The adrenal glands do have an effect on an animal’s behavior. Why? The adrenal gland secretes hormones; adrenaline and noradrenaline. In human biology and physiology, (It is expressed/outlined/stated that) the inner and outer portion of the adrenal glands are responsible for the secretion of these hormones. The inner portion of the animals’ adrenal gland will secrete the adrenaline. This hormone is usually released when the animal is under attack (FEAR / PANIC), and this goes right back to the emotional system of the animal which is reflected based on their response in behavior. If an animal is being attacked by a predator, this means that the animal will become FEARFUL of the other and tries to get out of its reach, to be able to survive. These signs can be detected based on the animal facial expressions sometimes, they might run, they might portray some escape behavior. Wilder species would protract stronger fearful response compared to domestic animals such as; cattle and sheep (Grandin & Deesing, 2013). If an animal is undergoing their mating season for example; swine (pig) they display behavioral signs such as; restlessness, standing heat etc. These are responses or signs given off to animal breeders or artificial inseminators would look out for in an animal behavior to know when it’s their mating season. This is how animal reproduction comes in place. Ethologist also looked into several means to know reason why animals behave a particular way.

Difference between innate and learned behaviors Animal’s behavior can also be summarized into two terms; “innate” and “learned” behavior. In a regular situation, if you place your index finger in a baby’s hand middle or foot bottom, they will automatically grab unto your finger (Bozeman Science, 2012). Babies aren’t born with any knowledge of anything, but with this behavior or reaction babies give when place your finger there, it shows that babies are born with this instinct of theirs. This way of action is called innate. There are some animals that naturally born portraying a particular activity which isn’t something they learn but they just naturally do it. This is what innate behaviors are all about animals displaying a certain behavior that they are born doing without learning it from any other organism.

Learned behavior is much more detailed then innate behavior. Learned behavior is self-explanatory, meaning, these animals would learn these types of behaviors that they portray. Ethologist studies the different behaviors animals display by observing them, and placing them around certain animals or even humans and carrying out researches and experiments to see and know how animals react differently to stimuli. Learned behaviors are as follows; imprinting, associative learning, trial & error, observational learning and insight (Bozeman Science, 2012). Imprinting is a type of learned behavior where the baby/offspring of animals watch and observe their mother’s behavior. For example; a duckling can imprint on humans when they are very young. If you take away the mother the ducklings and replace with a human (woman or man), they will imprint on the human, thinking it’s their mother. Ducklings often imprint on humans and this is how we discuss the process of the animals learning this particular behavior by imprinting on humans. (Bozeman Science, 2012) Associative learning is a process through which animals go through to learn and react to a particular stimuli based on what is being taught. Ethologist studies many different ways to see how animals will behave or react to a particular stimulus, however the theory on “Pavlov’s dog”, where he rings a bell and each time in ringing the bell he observes and watched the reaction of the dog by observing his salivary discharge. Dogs are very smart and observant animals in the animal kingdom, they are so smart that they can sense and identify their food with ease. Sometimes when the bell is rung and there was no food, the saliva of the dog would not be so much, if you show them food alone their saliva might not be enough either. If you ring the bell and show the food at the same time, their saliva will be longer or increase than the first two trials. This is showing that the animal is reacted to this stimulus the best, he reacts faster when the bell was rung along with the presence of food. (Bozeman Science, 2012)

Trail & Error Learning is a method of observing animal’s behavior by carrying out experiments to test their reaction and see how they will behave as well as to teach them. This type of behavior learnt by animals is associated with the B.F. Skinner experiment with his skinner box in which he used to teach the rat a lesson and know when to and when not to go for the food and know the difference between the two lights. This is how this learning technique can be applied to B.F. Skinner experiment by teaching the animal and allowing them to learn and see how they will react based on applying rewards such as food and a shock to let them know not to go when it’s a red light.

(Bozeman Science, 2012) Observational learning is basically when animal’s watch and observe each other as well as watching and observing humans and is following what they do. For example, based on scientific research, it was said that monkeys are almost or close to being humans. Why do you think that conclusion was made? Monkeys are smart and very observant. They will watch you and mimic or follow your every move and action. That’s how they learn easily and adopt to their very own environments. This brings us back to realizing that animals learn based on the environment s they are living in. If a monkey is placed in a home with only humans, he will follow their every movement and attempt to behave like humans e.g. monkeys can stick out their tongue if they catch you doing it to them. If you place them in the jungle or zoo they will behave like their family. At the zoo, monkeys sometime behave like humans because they are seeing visitors (people) and they copy the humans’ behavior towards them. That’s how they learn and portray that behavior as well. Animals can observe their surroundings and learn based on the actions displayed. If someone places a finger on the top of their forehead, the chimpanzee will follow and copy the action; placing its finger to its forehead just the same. Motor neuron and mirror neuron are what helps with their learning and observation to follow what they saw. This is how they observe what you are doing and learn from your actions.

(Bozeman Science, 2012) Insight, this is where animal’s such as chimpanzees are given something to try and solve a particular puzzle or challenge. For example; placing a chimpanzee in a room that has boxes or crates and the objective is for the animal to reach a bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling. In order for the chimpanzee to reach the bananas, it has to place boxes or crates on top of each other to reach them. It must be taken into account their brain isn’t fully developed or as developed as humans to know what do at the same time, hence they will try and try until they finally solve the problem by placing the boxes on top of each other to complete its goal. This is called insight, they might not born or have the essential knowledge needed to complete or solve problems but they try and try until they finally figure out what is required to get something done. This is how animals learn and this is how ethologist discover what they are capable of and how to work with them and improve on their learning abilities. (Bozeman Science, 2012)

Conclusion There is a very complex interaction or relation with observing animal’s based on genetic features as well as environmental factors which determines an animal’s behavior. An animal’s temperament can be influenced or affected (positively) by both an animal’s genetics (genotype and phenotype) as well as learning. Animal’s behaviors can be detected through; genetics’ according to scientist and physiologist that studies behaviorism and how genetics can affect animal’s behaviors, the study of ethology can show and explain how animal’s behavior based. They will be teaching the animals or showing the animal’s a particular item, which leads back to learned behavior which is a part of the study of animal’s behavior. Animals can learn how to behave by: learning whether they will watch and observe another organism, habituate just by them seeing or viewing the same stimuli over and over, learning through trial and error which is associated with what B.F. Skinner theory is about. Animals can learn a variety of ways and their behaviors can be detected by carrying out test and experiments. “Animals are interesting living organisms which play important roles in biodiversity, it is important that their behaviors are understood”. The End

REFERENCES. Bozeman Science. (2012, April 26). Animal Behavior {Paul Andersen steps you through eight types of animal behavior. He starts by defining ethology and explaining that behavior varies from innate to learned. He discusses each of the following with examples; instinct, fixed action pattern, imprinting, associative learning, trial and error learning, habituation, observational learning and insight.}.Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hREwakXmAo&t=1s • Gillian P. McHugo, Michael J. Dover & David E. MacHugh. (2019, December 02). Unlocking the origins and biology of domestic animals using ancient DNA and paleogenomics. Retrieved from BMC Biology: https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/ 10.1186/s12915-019-0724-7 • Grandin & Deesing. (2013). Behavorism. In G. &. Deesing, Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals (pp. 10-462). Colardo : Academic Press. • Grandin & Deesing. (2013). Ethology. In M. J. Temple Grandin, Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals (p. 12 of 462). Colorado, USA: 2nd edition. Amsterdam : Academic Press. • Temple Grandin & Mark J. Deesing. (2013). Basic Genetics More Complex Than Other Traits. In T. G. Deesing, Genetics And The Behavior of Domestic Animals (pp. 9-426). Colorado: Academic Press.