1、Chapter 17Behavioral EcologyBehavior is what an animal does and how it does it.Every behavior results from a combination of genetic (“nature”) and environmental (“nurture”) influencesInstinctive behavior Learning is also considered a behavioral process.Behaviors are adaptive, they are the result of
2、a long evolutionary process 2Reed warbler CuckooA species interaction that nicely illustrates many aspects of animal behavior.Instincts allow reed warblers to build nests and to lay eggs without learning how to do so Even so, nesting behaviors only occur when the appropriate environmental cues are p
3、resent, and they improve with experience (through learning)Reed warbler chicks instinctively beg for foodCuckoos remove a host egg and lay one of their own in a nestCuckoos instinctively parasitize reed warblers nestsCuckoo chicks instinctively remove reed warbler eggs and youngCuckoo chicks instinctively exploit the innate feeding behavior of the reed warbler adult
