Innate Behavior

Behaviors that are closely controlled by genes with little or no environmental influence are called innate behaviors. These are behaviors that occur naturally in all members of a species whenever they are exposed to a certain stimulus. Innate behaviors do not have to be learned or practiced. They are also called instinctive behaviors. An instinct is the ability of an animal to perform a behavior the first time it is exposed to the proper stimulus. For example, a dog will drool the first time—and every time—it is exposed to food.

Examples of Innate Behavior

Migration, the seasonal movement of animals, is an example of an innate behavior as is estivation (period of inactivity in response to heat) and hibernation (period of inactivity in response to cold temperatures). Taxis is another type of innate behavior involving the movement of an organism in response to a stimulus. For example, chemotaxis is movement in response chemicals and phototaxis is movement in response to light. Negative taxis is movement away from the stimulus while positive taxis is movement towards the stimulus.

Significance of Innate Behavior

Innate behaviors are rigid and predictable. All members of the species perform the behaviors in the same way. Innate behaviors usually involve basic life functions, such as finding food or caring for offspring. Several examples are shown in Figure below. If an animal were to perform such important behaviors incorrectly, it would be less likely to survive or reproduce.

Image: Examples of Innate Behavior. These innate behaviors are necessary for survival or reproduction. Can you explain why each behavior is important?

Intelligence and Innate Behavior

Innate behaviors occur in all animals. However, they are less common in species with higher levels of intelligence. Humans are the most intelligent species, and they have very few innate behaviors. The only innate behaviors in humans are reflexes. A reflex is a response that always occurs when a certain stimulus is present. For example, a human infant will grasp an object, such as a finger, that is placed in its palm. The infant has no control over this reaction because it is innate. Other than reflexes such as this, human behaviors are learned–or at least influenced by experience—rather than being innate.

Innate Behavior in Human Beings

All animals have innate behaviors, even human beings. Can you think of human behaviors that do not have to be learned? Chances are, you will have a hard time thinking of any. The only truly innate behaviors in humans are called reflex behaviors. They occur mainly in babies. Like innate behaviors in other animals, reflex behaviors in human babies may help them survive.

An example of a reflex behavior in babies is the sucking reflex. Newborns instinctively suck on a nipple that is placed in their mouth. It is easy to see how this behavior evolved. It increases the chances of a baby feeding and surviving. Another example of a reflex behavior in babies is the grasp reflex (Figure below). Babies instinctively grasp an object placed in the palm of their hand. Their grip may be surprisingly strong. How do you think this behavior might increase a baby’s chances of surviving?

Image: One of the few innate behaviors in human beings is the grasp reflex. It occurs only in babies.

Summary

Innate behaviors are instinctive. They are controlled by genes and always occur in the same way.
Innate behaviors do not have to be learned or practiced.
Innate behaviors generally involve basic life functions, so it’s important that they be performed correctly.

Review

What are innate behaviors? Give an example.
What would happen to an individual who poorly performs innate behaviors?
What is an instinct?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Learned Behavior

Learning is a change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience. Compared with innate behaviors, learned behaviors are more flexible. They can be modified to suit changing conditions. This may make them more adaptive than innate behaviors. For example, drivers may have to modify how they drive (a learned behavior) when roads are wet or icy. Otherwise, they may lose control of their vehicle.

Animals may learn behaviors in a variety of ways. Some ways are quite simple. Others are more complex. Imprinting is when an animal forms a social attachment during a critical phase. Click on the link below to see a video showing baby geese that have imprinted on a human because she is the first object they saw shortly after hatching:

Biologist is Real-Life Mother Goose (Video) Biologist is Real-Life Mother Goose

Classical conditioning occurs when an animal responds to a stimulus learned by association with a specific action. Pavlov's dog is an example of conditioning. Pavlov rang a bell every time he fed his dog. Eventually, the dog would salivate when he heard the bell ring whether or not food was present. Habituation is learning not to respond to a stimulus because there is no reward or punishment given. Trial-and-error learning occurs when an animal is given a reward for making a particular response. Many times animals are trained using by trial-and-error learning with food being the reward.

Insight learning, which is based on past experience and reasoning, is a hallmark of the human animal. Humans have used insight learning to solve problems ranging from starting a fire to traveling to the moon. It usually involves coming up with new ways to solve problems. Insight learning generally happens quickly. An animal has a sudden flash of insight. Insight learning requires relatively great intelligence. Human beings use insight learning more than any other species. They have used their intelligence to solve problems ranging from inventing the wheel to flying rockets into space.

Think about problems you have solved. Maybe you figured out how to solve a new type of math problem or how to get to the next level of a video game. If you relied on your past experiences and reasoning to do it, then you were using insight learning.

One type of insight learning is making tools to solve problems. Scientists used to think that humans were the only animals intelligent enough to make tools. In fact, tool-making was believed to set humans apart from all other animals.

In 1960, primate expert Jane Goodall discovered that chimpanzees also make tools. She saw a chimpanzee strip leaves from a twig. Then he poked the twig into a hole in a termite mound. After termites climbed onto the twig, he pulled the twig out of the hole and ate the insects clinging to it. The chimpanzee had made a tool to “fish” for termites. He had used insight to solve a problem. Since then, chimpanzees have been seen making several different types of tools. For example, they sharpen sticks and use them as spears for hunting. They use stones as hammers to crack open nuts.

Scientists have also observed other species of animals making tools to solve problems. A crow was seen bending a piece of wire into a hook. Then the crow used the hook to pull food out of a tube.

Another example is a gorilla using a branch as a tool (a walking stick) to keep her balance while she reaches down into swampy water to catch a fish. Behaviors such as these show that other species of animals can use their experience and reasoning to solve problems. They can learn through insight.

Animal Behavior (Video) Animal Behavior

Summary

Learning is a change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience.
Learned behaviors are adaptive because they are flexible. They can change if the environment changes.
Behaviors can be learned in several different ways, including through play.

Review

What is learning?
Name three types of learning in animals.
Compare and contrast instinct and learning.

Content taken or modified from CK-12: https://www.ck12.org/biology/Learned-Behavior-of-Animals/lesson/Learned-Behavior-of-Animals-BIO/

Except as expressly otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12 Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordance with theCreative Commons Attribution – Non-Commerical 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC) License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) , as amended and updated by Creative Commons from time to time (the “CC BY-NC License”).