Introduction to Ethology

Ethology, the study of the biology of behavior, has grown tremendously during the last few decades. The large number of accumulated facts is difficult to survey, understanding and an appreciation of the ethological approach to the study of behavior have grown, and the number of attempts at holistic explanations for certain behavioral phenomena has increased. Because of this development it has become more difficult to gain an overview of the field, to keep up with new developments, and to update the subject matter by the inclusion of new facts in the proper place. The nonspecialist is unable to evaluate the more general statements in the popular literature, especially when such works are aimed at a broader audience. Hence, this book has a dual purpose: (1) to lend some order to the dizzying array of information and thus simplify inquiry into ethology; and (2) to present relevant facts and knowledge that will help the reader confronted with numerous studies and articles in the ethological literature.

Inhaltsangabe1 Aims, Methods, and Areas of Ethology.- 1.1. Definitions of Concepts.- 1.2. Descriptive Ethology.- 1.3. Experimental Ethology.- 1.4. Areas of Ethological Research.- 2 Basic Ethological Concepts.- 2.1. Reflexes.- 2.2. Threshold Changes.- 2.3. Specific Fatigue.- 2.3.1. Action-Specific Fatigue.- 2.3.2. Stimulus-Specific Fatigue.- 2.4. Appetitive Behavior and Consummatory Acts.- 2.5. Spontaneity of Behavior.- 2.6. Motivation.- 2.7. Motivational Analysis.- 2.8. Motivational Systems: "Drives".- 3 External Stimuli.- 3.1. Stimulus Filtering.- 3.1.1. Peripheral Filtering.- 3.1.2. Central Filtering.- 3.2. Releasing Mechanisms.- 3.3. Key Stimuli.- 3.4. Releasers.- 3.5. Interspecific Releasers.- 3.6. Stimulus Summation.- 3.7. Supernormal Releasers.- 3.8. Differential Effects of External Stimuli.- 3.9. Dependence upon External Stimuli.- 3.9.1. Inherited Movement Coordinations (Fixed Action Patterns).- 3.9.2. Taxis Components.- 4 Temporal and Hierarchical Organization of Behavior.- 4.1. Categorization of Behavior Patterns.- 4.2. Conflict Behavior.- 4.2.1. Ambivalent Behavior.- 4.2.2. Redirected Behavior.- 4.2.3. Displacement Behavior.- 4.3. Models of Instinctive Behavioral Organization.- 5 Behavioral Physiology.- 5.1. The Nervous System and Behavior.- 5.1.1. Methods.- 5.1.2. Results.- 5.2. Hormones and Behavior.- 5.2.1. Methods.- 5.2.2. Influences of Hormones.- 5.2.3. Effects of Hormones.- 5.2.4. Hormone Release Controlled by Behavior.- 6 Ontogeny of Behavior.- 6.1. Inborn or Acquired?.- 6.1.1. Sources of Information.- 6.1.2. Recognition of Inborn Behavior Patterns.- 6.1.3. What Is Inborn?.- 6.2. Maturation of Behavior Patterns.- 7 Learning.- 7.1. The Biological Significance of Individually Acquired Information.- 7.2. Sensitive Phases in Learning.- 7.3. Learning Predispositions.- 7.4. Learning Processes.- 7.4.1. Habituation.- 7.4.2. Classical Conditioning.- 7.4.3. Instrumental Conditioning.- 7.4.4. Play Behavior.- 7.4.5. Imitation, Social Facilitation.- 7.4.6. Insight Learning.- 7.4.7. Imprinting.- 7.5. Behavioral Traditions.- 7.6. Tool Using.- 8 Social Behavior.- 8.1. Fighting Behavior.- 8.1.1. Definition.- 8.1.2. Biological Significance.- 8.1.3. Threat and Intimidation Displays.- 8.1.4. Submission and Appeasement Gestures.- 8.1.5. Territoriality.- 8.1.6. Individual Distance.- 8.1.7. Ritualized Fights.- 8.1.8. Damaging Fights and Killing of Conspecifics.- 8.1.9. Motivational Aspects.- 8.2. Sexual Behavior.- 8.2.1. Biological Significance.- 8.2.2. Function of Sexual Behavior.- 8.2.3. Pair-Bonding Behavior.- 8.2.4. Forms of Heterosexual Bonds.- 8.2.5. Mechanisms of Maintaining Bonds.- 8.2.6. Motivational Aspects.- 8.3. Behavior in Care of Young.- 8.3.1. Functions in Care of Young.- 8.3.2. Formation of Families.- 8.3.3. Behavioral Adaptations with Respect to Care of Young.- 8.4. Behavior of Groups.- 8.4.1. Biological Function of Social Groups.- 8.4.2. Social Structure.- 8.4.3. Altruism.- 8.4.4. Types of Groups.- 8.4.5. Origin of Groups.- 8.4.6. Mechanisms of Group Formation.- 8.4.7. Motivational Aspects.- 9 Behavior Genetics.- 9.1. Methods.- 9.2. Behavior of Hybrids.- 9.3. Crossbreeding Experiments.- 9.4. Conclusions.- 10 Phylogenetic Development of Behavior.- 10.1. Methods.- 10.2. Problems of Homology.- 10.3. Species Comparisons.- 10.4. Studies in the Ontogeny of Behavior.- 10.5. Behavioral Rudiments.- 10.6. Ritualization.- 10.7. Convergence of Behavior Patterns.- 10.8. Conclusions.- 11 Influence of Domestication on Behavior.- 11.1. Problems of Definition.- 11.2. Characteristics of Domestication.- 11.2.1. Changes in the Readiness to Act.- 11.2.2. Changes in Innate Releasing Mechanisms.- 11.3. Causes of Changes during Domestication.- 11.4. Conclusions.- 12 Ethology and Psychology.- 12.1. Introduction.- 12.2. Level of Comparison.- 12.3. Application.- 12.3.1. Animal Experiments as a Model.- 12.3.2. Research in Human Ethology.- 12.4. Phylogenetic Preprogramming of Human Behavior.- 12.4.1. Examples.- 12.4.2. Research in Behavior Genetics in Huma