Mark Elgar

Animal
Behaviour
Asking Questions
1
Outline
Asking the right question
Anthropomorphism
Proximate vs ultimate factors:
- Tinbergens four questions
2
Asking the right question
Are dolphins happy and content at this
time of the day?
3
Asking the right question
Stress levels of dairy cows vary depending on
the company they keep.
4
Avoid anthropomorphism
"the ascription of a human attribute or
personality to anything impersonal or
irrational"
Oxford English dictionary
6
Avoid anthropomorphism Avoid anthropomorphism
Tree kangaroo Eastern grey kangaroo
vs
8
Avoid anthropomorphism
dead male
Argiope sp.
9
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Exposure to extreme trauma
can result in post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD)
Disruptions to
familial bonding process
upsets regulation in
developing brain
Infants develop an enduring
right-brain dysfunction that
predisposes them to violence
10
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
The orphans were
elephants and the
victims were rhinoceros
11
There are questions, and there are questions...
Different answers to the same questions:

development

causation

evolutionary history

survival value
?
12
Why do male bower-birds build bowers in springtime?
Bowers are associated
with courtship and
mating; chicks are not
raised in them
Photograph by Summ
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASatin_Bowerbird_nest.jpg
13
Why do male bower-birds build bowers in springtime?
Bowers are associated
with courtship and
mating; chicks are not
raised in them
Photograph by Summ
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASatin_Bowerbird_nest.jpg
Why do bowerbirds pay
so much more attention
to building, renovating
and decorating their
bowers in springtime?
13
Why do male bower-birds build bowers in springtime?
i) causation:
the hours of daylight increase during springtime, and this might
trigger changes in hormones that consequently stimulate bower-
building behaviour
Photograph by Summ
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASatin_Bowerbird_nest.jpg
14
Why do male bower-birds build bowers in springtime?
i) causation:
the hours of daylight increase during springtime, and this might
trigger changes in hormones that consequently stimulate bower-
building behaviour
ii) adaptive value:
males build bowers in order to attract females for breeding no
bower, no partner
Photograph by Summ
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASatin_Bowerbird_nest.jpg
14
Why do male bower-birds build bowers in springtime?
i) causation:
the hours of daylight increase during springtime, and this might
trigger changes in hormones that consequently stimulate bower-
building behaviour
iii) evolutionary history:
complex bowers may have evolved from more simple
constructions (or nests) built by the ancestors of bowerbirds
ii) adaptive value:
males build bowers in order to attract females for breeding no
bower, no partner
Photograph by Summ
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASatin_Bowerbird_nest.jpg
14
Why do male bower-birds build bowers in springtime?
i) causation:
the hours of daylight increase during springtime, and this might
trigger changes in hormones that consequently stimulate bower-
building behaviour
iii) evolutionary history:
complex bowers may have evolved from more simple
constructions (or nests) built by the ancestors of bowerbirds
ii) adaptive value:
males build bowers in order to attract females for breeding no
bower, no partner
iv) development:
males have learned the behaviour from their parents or
neighbours
Photograph by Summ
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASatin_Bowerbird_nest.jpg
14
Proximate vs Ultimate explanations
ultimate questions = the evolutionary, historical
causes of behaviour
proximate questions = immediate causes of behaviour
controlled by underlying genetic and developmental
mechanisms

15
Proximate vs Ultimate explanations
ultimate questions = the evolutionary,
historical causes of behaviour
proximate questions = immediate causes
of behaviour controlled by underlying
genetic and developmental mechanisms

17
Summary
To ask the right questions:
Avoid anthropomorphism
Understand the four levels of analysis
(Tinbergens four questions)
Consider proximate vs ultimate factors
18
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"orpolse ln Carlsbad, CA"(hup://www.lckr.com/phoLos/belngzoe/2923630374) by zoe somebody (CC 8? 2.0)

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"grazlng calves aL Warea" (hup://www.lckr.com/phoLos/dcysurfer/4989239322/) by "dcysurfer" (CC 8? 2.0).

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1) 1ree kangaroo phoLograph courLesy of Laura auence and Mal 1ruong
2) "kangaroo aL dusk" (hup://freeausslesLock.com/free/AusLrallana/slldes/kangaroos_dusk.hLm) by "freeausslesLock.com" (CC 8? 3.0)

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"Cannlballzauon(sllk splder)" (hup://commons.wlklmedla.org/wlkl/llle3ACannlballzauon(sllk_splder).[pg) by "kumon" (CC 8? 2.0), vla Wlklmedla Commons

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a) "ACAv and M48 Convoy vleLnam War" (hup://commons.wlklmedla.org/wlkl/llle3AACAv_and_M48_Convoy_vleLnam_War.[pg) 8y SLarry, uonn A. MounLed combaL ln vleLnam. uLA81MLn1 Cl 1PL A8M?.
[ubllc domaln], vla Wlklmedla Commons
b) "korean War korean clvlllans-ca1931" (hup://commons.wlklmedla.org/wlkl/llle3Akorean_War_korean_clvlllans-ca1931.[pg) by uS CovernmenL / nauonal Archlves and 8ecords AdmlnlsLrauon [ubllc domaln],
vla Wlklmedla Commons

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a) "Afrlcan 8ush LlephanLs" (hups://commons.wlklmedla.org/wlkl/llle3AAfrlcan_8ush_LlephanLs.[pg) by "Corgo" [ubllc domaln], vla Wlklmedla Commons
b) "SouLh Afrlca-Mpumalanga-8hlno02" (hups://commons.wlklmedla.org/wlkl/llle3ASouLh_Afrlca-Mpumalanga-8hlno02.[pg) by nlck 8oux (CC 8?-SA 1.0), vla Wlklmedla Commons

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8lver Cuer 2 (hup://www.lckr.com/phoLos/wcdumonLs/8333382101/) by Mark uumonL (CC 8? 2.0)

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"Saun 8owerblrd nesL" (hup://commons.wlklmedla.org/wlkl/llle3ASaun_8owerblrd_nesL.[pg) 8y Summ (Cwn work) (CC-8?-SA-3.0), vla Wlklmedla Commons
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vldeo of splny-leaf lnsecL swaylng" by Lunlce 1an unlverslLy of Melbourne
19