Week 12 Post 3

To learn that animals are equally as social as humans is quite surprising.  I had no idea that animals could be categorized and analyzed so similarly to us. I think it gives a lot of insight to how close we are to them, or how close they are to us; some of them able to communicate with us.

I wonder if there has been any advancements in trying to communicate with animals not able to learn things like sign language.

Week 12 Post 2

Social Networks


Social networks are patterns of association between individuals that differ from random patterns. They have important consequences for the individual lives of the animals. Scientists use social network analysis to study social networks, the same way they study social media for humans. Social network analysis is an approach for studying the structuring of the social environment of animals and the consequences it has for individuals. In those analyses, individuals are considered nodes that can be connected and intertwined.  Spatial associations are physical interactions in specific space. The scientists ask who initiates the most? his question helps determine the most social individuals. It can also be determined by documenting fights and other negative interactions. Associations can be categorized as aggressive, friendly, or neutral.
Social networks structures are very important as well. They can determine the spread of disease, as well as who would/has spread it the fastest.  Individual factors can determine the structure; age, dominance, sex, and personality.

Humans are an extremely social species. The way we interact with others varies greatly on our personal traits as well as how/where we choose to interact; online, in person, at home, in public, etc.

Week 12 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Social Networks

• Social networks
• Patterns of association between individuals that differ from random patterns
• They have important consequences
• Scientists use social network analysis
• Approach for studying the structuring of the social environment of animals and the consequences it has for individuals
• Individuals = nodes that can be connected
• Spatial associations
• Who initiates the most?
• Can be determined by documenting fights
• Associations can be categorized
• Aggressive
• Friendly
• Neutral
• Social networks structures
• Can determine the spread of disease
• Individual factors
• Age
• Dominance
• Sex
• Personality

Week 11 Post 3

I was very surprised to learn that males will actually discard offspring that he even slightly doubts is his. But I guess that is evident in human society as well. If a man believes his woman partner has "cheated" on him and the child is not his, he will demand a paternity test and may actually leave the life of the child. Obviously, the animal kingdom does not have paternity tests.

How accurate are males in recognizing when offspring is not his? And females, on parasitic eggs?

Week 11 Post 2

Parental Care

Humans require a lot of intensive care as babies. We are born fragile, unable to move, unable to eat on our own, and unintelligent. On the other hand,  some animals don't need any care as juveniles at all.  Some other species are in between, needing help at some point, none at another.
Parental care: is any activity performed by a parent that enhances the survival of its offspring. Different species give different kinds and amounts of care. Examples of parental care include incubating eggs, feeding, protection from predators, and transporting offspring from place to place
Parents can teach offspring skills like foraging.
Animals can follow two strategies when it comes to parental care and reproduction. Some species produce large numbers of offspring that they don't care for to offset the number that will die; a larger number of offspring but a higher death rate. Some species will care for the offspring for months or years after birth/hatching but will have a smaller number of offspring. Some species will not care for the offspring but will protect them from predators before they are born/hatched (in between).
Not all animals have the energy to produce a lot of offspring and care for them, that is why they do not all care for their young although it would result in a lower death rate. Use of either strategy depends on the environment as well; food availability and predators.
A certain hormone actually increases care behavior in birds and mammals; prolactin.
Individuals may collaborate on care or go solo when it comes to the care of offspring. Males are less willing to help if the female mated with other males because the odds that the offspring is his is lessened.

Humans require a lot of parental care, and it can be compared to the care of many animals, like elephants. They have a long gestation period and care for their young for a long time after birth, keeping them as members of the "family".

Week 11 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Parental Care

• Humans require care as babies, while some animals don't need any at all
• Other species are in between
• Parental care:
• Any activity by a parent that enhances the survival of its offspring
• Different species give different kinds and amounts of care
• Examples: incubating eggs, feeding, protection from predators, and transporting offspring from place to place
• Parents can teach offspring skills
• Some species produce large numbers of offspring that they don't care for to offset the number that will die
• Some species will not care for the offspring but will protect them from predators before they are born/hatched
• Some species will care for the offspring for months or years
• Not all animals have the energy to produce a lot of offspring and care for them
• Use of either strategy depends on the environment
• Food availability
• Predators
• Hormones
• Prolactin:
• Increases care behavior in birds and mammals
• Individuals may collaborate on care or go solo
• Males are less willing to help if the female mated with other males

Week 10 Post 3

It is interesting to see how mating shifts from insects to birds to mammals, then to specifically humans.  The differences are so drastic but make sense. Animals have no need for pleasure or even a want. They all have one goal; to reproduce and survive.

I wonder if humans have any natural instincts like that left?

Week 10 Post 2

Mate Choice

Mate choice is very important in terms of breeding and furthering a species's population. Many species mate with one partner for life, so choosing the right mate becomes even more crucial. Mates determine the success of the offspring and the number of offspring. Females are usually choosier in their mate than males are.  When choosing a mate, females will consider their direct benefits and indirect benefits. Direct benefits a female may gain from a male is an increased survival.  The male may bring her food as well as provide a proper breeding location. A good male can also provide safety meaning a greater number of offspring.  Indirect benefits a female may receive is better male genetics and her offspring may have a better immune system, thus healthier offspring. He may also prove more compatible genes, like a more built frame, darker coloration, etc. Some females will fall victim to sensory biases. If for example, a lizard likes the light brown color of insects, it may accidentally prefer a lightly colored male, although it may not be beneficial in any way. So, the female ends up preferring males based off of other cues not related to mating.  Males can cause costs of mating/ not mating. If there are too many males or not enough males, issues can arise.

In conclusion, animals must balance direct benefits, indirect benefits, and potential costs when choosing mates.

Humans consider mate choice every day. But because we "mate" for pleasure more often than reproduction, our mate choice usually has nothing to do with offspring and more with personal preference. Although, it is said females can sense hormones in males that say he will make a good candidate for children. 

Week 10 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Mate Choice

• Mate choice is very important
• Many species mate with one partner for life 
• Mates determine the success of the offspring
• Females are usually choosier in their mate
• Direct benefits:
• Increased survival of the female
• Male brings food
• Breeding location
• Greater number of offspring
• Indirect benefits:
• Better male genetics
• Better immune system
• Healthier offspring
• More compatible genes
• Sensory biases
• Prefers males based off of other cues not related to mating
• Males can cause costs of mating/ not mating
• Animals must balance direct benefits, indirect benefits, and potential costs when choosing mates

Week 9 Post 3

During this topic of the course, I realized I find migration very interesting. For example, butterflies and whales migrate hundreds and hundreds of miles for food and habitat and places to breed. I also found the correlation between humans and migration amusing

Do humans unintentionally migrate for breeding purposes? Is the nature of migration what causes teenagers to leave the house so early at times? Or is it purely hormones?

Week 9 Post 2

Dispersal and Migration

Most animals are mobile in some way or another.  Sometimes, animals move from one place to another for different reasons and in different ways. Dispersal is one of the ways animals move from place to place; it is when animals move short or intermediate distances to a similar kind of habitat. It is a one-way trip, meaning the animals stay where they moved.  Competition over food, space, or resources can be a cause of dispersal. Usually, younger animals disperse because they are less competitive by nature. When young animals disperse it is called natal dispersal. Parents will kick out their children due to competition, and to reduce inbreeding.  This awareness of inbreeding is an adaptation, as inbred offspring are usually born with defects, thus not surviving for long.
Migrations occur when animals leave their habitat to move temporarily to a different habitat and return at some later stage. Billions of animals migrate every year. Migration evolves when habitat for feeding or breeding is better in one area during certain times of the year and is harsher at other times. During migrations, animals navigate in different ways; using a star compass (earth's rotation), the sun rising and setting, magnetic fields, and landmarks/smells.

A combination of genetic and environmental information and experience help animals migrate thousands of miles successfully.

Humans actually migrate in their own way; we take vacations to warmer places when it's cold, and to cooler places when it's hot. We will also move from place to place to find jobs or opportunities.

Week 9 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Dispersal and Migration

• Most animals are mobile
• Dispersal: 
• When animals move short or intermediate distances to a similar kind of habitat
• One-way
• Competition over food, space, or resources
• Usually younger animals => less competitive
• Natal dispersal
• Parents will kick out children due to competition
• Reduces inbreeding (adaptation)
• Migration: 
• When animals leave their habitat to move temporarily to a different habitat, and return at some later stage
• Billion migrate every year
• Evolves when habitat for feeding or breeding is better in one area during certain times
• Navigations:
• Uses star compass, earth's rotation
• Sun rising and setting
• Magnetic field
• Landmarks/smells
• Combination of genetic and environmental information, and experience

Week 8 Post 3

I find it interesting that humans have so much easy access to food sources (at least most of us do), while animals struggle to some extent. And if you think about it, we are weaker and unable to hunt or forage even if we had to. I find it upsetting that there are so many people without food.

Can animals evolve to somehow deal with the toxins of plants? Or evolve to avoid the thorns of plants, or digest them?

Week 8 Post 2

Feeding Behavior

Food is necessary for survival, for animals and for humans. Some foods are available in large quantities, others in small patches, usually for plant-eating animals. Other food sources don't move, or are in the same place, while others move and require a hunt to consume.
Animals all face the same basic challenge of efficiently tracking down and consuming their food. Getting food involves two major challenges: finding food items, and then successfully consuming them. Predators sometimes need to evolve to catch their food easier and more efficiently, as prey evolve to escape easier and faster.
Herbivores eat plants while carnivores eat other animals. Herbivores generally eat immobile prey, like plants, while carnivores eat mobile prey, other animals. Herbivores rarely struggle to find and identify food items but consuming the food becomes more difficult. Plants may have physical or chemical defenses, like thorns or poisons. Carnivore prey is easy to consume but harder to catch. Prey can avoid detection and try to escape, while even injuring the predator itself.
Animals find food by detecting cues using their senses. Their senses include sight, hearing, smell, and touch. Some animals can detect vibrations, while some can detect electric fields or heat. A common strategy for predators is to focus on a cue that is very difficult to hide, for example, a heart beat. A search image is a visually distinctive indicator of a specific prey item that can be discriminated from the background.

Although humans don't hunt for their food or need to worry about toxins, we do choose what we eat carefully, as we suffer from different kinds of toxins; like preservatives. 

Week 8 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Feeding Behavior

• Food is necessary for survival
• Some foods are available in large quantities, others in small patches
• Some don't move or are in the same place, some move
• animals all face the same basic challenge of efficiently tracking down and consuming their food
•  two major challenges: finding food items, and then successfully consuming them
• Predators sometimes need to evolve to catch their food easier and more efficiently
• Herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat other animals
• herbivores generally eat immobile prey, while carnivores eat mobile prey
• herbivores rarely struggle to find and identify food items
• plants may have physical or chemical defenses
• Animals find food by detecting cues using their senses
• Animal senses include sight, hearing, smell, and touch
• Some animals detect vibrations
• Some can detect electric fields or heat
• Common strategy for predators is to focus on a cue that is very difficult to hide
• Search image - visually distinctive indicators of a specific prey item that can be discriminated from the background

Week 7 Post 3

I was well aware that animals used many different forms of communication. But I had no idea that these modes of communication had "pros and cons". For example, the fact that feathers were very costly to produce on the bird's part? Absolutely extraordinary.

I would want to know more about permanent visual signals. What about fur? And amphibians with skin that have a bright, warning color?

Week 7 Post 2

Modes of Communication

Different modes of communication have different characteristics that make them more or less effective for certain types of signal.  One of the main modes of communication, and the most common is visual communication.  It is common but diverse and includes permanent signals and temporary signals.  Permanent signals include coloration, while temporary signals include things like smell and sound.  Visual signals have three things in common; they are fast at conveying information, can work over long distances, and are restricted to line-of-sight.  Meaning, they are dependent on environment.  Both types of visual signals can be tasking or easy. Permanent signals are usually easy to maintain but costly to produce, like feathers.
Auditory signals are fast and can travel long distances. But, they are always temporary, and they require constant energy, like a frog croaking. Auditory signals are also easier to eavesdrop, which can be harmful to prey animals trying to signal predators.  A positive is that locating the source of the signal becomes more difficult.
Olfactory signals are smells and are a very slow signal.  The signal is restricted by air movements, and are useless for signals needing quick speed, like marking territory before rivals can. Although, they are good for persistence, as they can last a while.
Tactile communication is gestures between two individuals, usually during mating, or most commonly, during grooming.

Humans use signals for communication literally every single day. Our main ways of communication are auditory as well as visual; talking and facial expressions.

Week 7 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Modes of Communication

• Different modes of communication have different characteristics that make them more or less effective for certain types of signal
• Visual communication:
• Common but diverse
• includes permanent signals and temporary signals
• Three things in common:
• Fast conveying information
• Can work over long distances
• restricted to line-of-sight
• Dependent on environment
• Can be bad or good
• Permanent is usually easy to maintain but costly to produce
• Auditory signals are fast, travels long distance
• Always temporary, requires constant energy 
• Easier to eavesdrop
• Locating source becomes harder
• Olfactory signals (smells)
• Very slow signal
• Restricted by air movements
• Useless for signals needing quick speed
• Good for persistence, can last a while
• Tactile communication
• Gestures between two individuals
• During mating
• Common in grooming

Week 6 Post 3

It is really surprising to me that there is an actual term for the way humans and animals both do things that other members of their species did first. It is a really bad adaptation, thus the name maladaptation. I wonder if we will ever overcome that, or evolve out of it. But personally, I don't think humans will evolve much further.

Will humans evolve further? Is there any testing or evidence that we are currently evolving in any way?

Week 6 Post 2

Learning From Others

Learning is something we all do from a very young age, voluntarily or not. Social learning is the phenomenon of learning by observing others, which is very common in the animal world and human society, Social learning gives the same results with less time and energy than individual learning. A combination of individual and social learning can also be used, and often is.
Local enhancement: occurs when seeing others investigating or performing an activity makes an individual want to investigate; makes them curious.
Stimulus enhancement occurs when the aftermath of an investigation by another individual result in a stimulus for an individual who may have not had interest before.
Social learning is necessary if an individual is not as good as the others, so if they need more help to survive.Social behaviors can also be wrong at times.  Wrong behaviors are called maladaptive behaviors; when the behavior is more harmful than helpful.

You see local enhancement and maladaptive behavior amongst humans all the time. When one group of people try a new food, maybe a Starbucks drink, then everyone wants to try it. And when the people in front of an individual cross the road when the light is red, and the individual follows, it is maladaptive. 

Week 6 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Learning

• Social learning:
• The phenomenon of learning by observing others
• Gives the same results with less time and energy than individual learning
• Combination of individual and social learning can also be used
• Local enhancement:
• Seeing others investigating makes you want to investigate
• Stimulus enhancement:
• The aftermath of an investigation results in a stimulus
• Social learning is necessary if an individual is not as good as the others
• Social behaviors can also be wrong at times

Week 5 Post 3

Looking further into the development process of animals and animal behavior has really opened my eyes to how similar we are to other animals, especially as children. But also, how inferior we are tot other species. Human babies have no capability of walking or communicating or even moving to hold things for quite a fwe weeks, while many animals can run and eat within a few hours if not less. \

Is there an environmental factor to why human babies are as fragile as they are?  Were they different in the far past?? When everything wasn't as easily available and humans weren't as safe?

Week 5 Post 2

Animal Behavioral Development


Behavioral development is a result of many factors that affect individuals at different life stages, an interlacing of multiple factors is usually most important. Some behavioral developments show hereditary traits, being similar among generations, but generally, animal behavior is a result of nature and nurture; the environment in which the individual was raised as well as its genes.  Gene-environment effects are an individual's genotypes developing under certain conditions. Determining these genetic effects can be very difficult.  Similar genotypes can, and commonly do, grow in similar environmental conditions.  In twins and siblings, their closely related genetics and common early environment means either could be the source of their similarities.
When an individual performs complex actions without any apparent direct benefit or playing, it actually is a form of learning. There is different forms of play: object play, locomotor play, and social play.  Object play, playing with objects, allows animals to practice foraging, catching, and holding. Locomotor play helps develop motor skills by moving and running in a playful manner. And social play develops social skills, usually through play fighting.


Human children do the same as they grow up; playing with toys and people, as well as beginning to move and walk. The way we learn and develop can be studied more through the way other mammals learn and grow in different environments, and maybe even give us insight into how we are doing better or worse.

Week 5 Post 1

Behavioural Development

• Many factors that affect individuals at different life stages
• Multiple factors can layer together
• Some behaviors show hereditary traits
• Generally, animal behavior is a result of nature and nurture
• Combination of the environment and genetics
• Gene-environment effects: 
• An individual's genotypes developing under certain conditions
• Determining genetic effects => difficult
• Similar genotypes grow in similar environmental conditions
• Twins/Siblings
• they are genetically closely related, but they also share their early environment, and either could be the source of their similarities
• When an individual performs complex actions without any apparent direct benefit
• There is different forms of play: object play, locomotor play, and social play
• Object play: allows animals to practice foraging, catching, holding
• Locomotor play: develop motor skills
• Social play: develop social skills

Week 4 Post 3

I was not as surprised about the use of animal behavior in human research topics as I was about the role of evolution in animal behavior studying, but I do believe it is not well known enough the role animal behavior takes in human life. Animal behavior is used in so many topics of human life, I feel that everyone can relate to it in some way or another, direct or indirect.

How does animal behavior relate or take a part in more technology based subjects? Like computer science or engineering?

Week 4 Post 2

Applications of Animal Behavior

Animals are considered a fundamental part of the world. Their behavior explains why and how animals act in response to their environment. Humans are animals so research on behavior has broad application to our lives, especially because we interact with other species the same way animals do. There are multiple reasons to study behavior. Animal behavior is its use in biology; it is integrated into biology as a whole.  In biology behavioral research is used to ask both broad and scientific questions about diverse animal groups. It is also relevant to other fields on vastly different scales, from ecology and evolutionary biology to immunology, physiology, and neuroscience.

We are animals, so we can often use animal behavior to understand ourselves, not only animals. Fields such as psychology, sociology, economics, and anthropology all use animal behavior research in some way. Some obvious applications for animal behavior relate to production animals, animals used for food or resources (ex. a cow for milk and meat).  Understanding how these production species behave allows us to get the most out of them while keeping their welfare good.  

Caught fish account for around 17% of global animal protein intake. Understanding how fish behave is crucial to ensuring these important food sources remain stable (so overfishing does not occur). Understanding the behavior of animals that carry diseases can help us predict how the disease will spread and develop strategies to contain it, thus relating back to us as humans who could potentially get that disease.  More commonly, understanding companion animal behavior (dogs, cats, birds, etc.) can help them interact safely with other species and other humans.

Throughout this topic, it was made very evident that animal behavior research and studies are used profoundly in the study of many human topics.  There is a direct relation between human behavior and animal behavior.

Week 4 Post 1

Applications of Animal Behavior

• Animals are a fundamental part of the world
• Behavior explains why and how animals act in response to their environment
• Humans are animals so research on behavior has broad application to our lives
• Reasons to study behavior:
• Integrated into biology as a whole
• Relevant to fields on vastly different scales, from ecology and evolutionary biology, to immunology, physiology, and neuroscience
• We are animals, we can often use animal behavior to understand ourselves
• Fields such as psychology, sociology, economics, and anthropology
• Some obvious applications for animal behavior relate to production animals
• Understanding how these species behave allows us to get the most out of them while keeping their welfare as good as possible
• Caught fish account for around 17% of global animal protein intake
• Understanding how fish behave is crucial to ensuring these important food sources remain stable
• Understanding the behavior of animals that carry diseases 
• We can predict how the disease will spread and develop strategies to contain it
• Understanding companion animal behavior
• Help them interact safely

Week 3 Post 3

I never read anything about evolution relating to animal behavior during my preliminary research, and it actually makes a lot of sense. I was surprised to learn that the traits that an animal acquires over time due to different forms of evolution, random or not, affects the way they interact with each other as well as their environment.

I am curious to know whether evolution can affect cognition or communication?

Week 3 Post 2

Evolution and Natural Selection

There are over 67,000 vertebrate species and 1.3 million invertebrate species.

Evolution is the central concept that unifies all of biology.  It is crucial to understanding animal behavior. Biological Evolution is the idea that all life on Earth shares one common ancestor. Descent with modification is the way individuals pass on their traits to their offspring and those traits change over time. It can be monitored from generation to generation by changes in gene frequency (Genes are the main way traits are passed along) to help us better understand the evolutions. Phylogeny is the evolutionary relationships across species, for example, how dogs and cats are evolutionarily related.

Three main processes by which descent with modification occurs are a mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection. Mutation is random and occurs when genetic material is improperly copied or damaged. Some mutations are beneficial (creates new traits or modifies them). Genetic drift is also random. Populations get unlucky or lucky with the traits a specific individual's traits, especially in smaller populations. The individual is usually the most active male or female. Lastly, Natural Selection is one process by which evolution occurs, and is not random. It is basically adaptation. Populations slowly change to better suit their environment through the less effective traits dying off.

Understanding the behavior of animals requires an understanding of how they interact with their animals. And the way they interact with their environment is dependent on their traits and evolution as a species.

Week 3 Post 1

The Start of The Course; Kick-Off Assignment, and Formatting

This week I started the Animal Behavior Course with edX, and I am enjoying the topics and format of the class very much. The class is self-paced which is great, and there are lots of videos along with interactive assignments.

The first assignment given by the course was to go for a walk and observe all animal life, including humans. The responses are written in a discussion forum.
My response:

After every video, there are one or two multiple choice questions.

Some facts from the first video/topic:

• Evolution unifies all biology
• Helps understand animal behavior
• Biological evolution - descent with modification
• Assumes all living things have a common ancestor
• More than 67,000 vertebrate species, and over 1.3 million invertebrate species have been discovered since humans started recording them
• Phylogeny - evolutionary relationships
• Three main processes of modification: mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection.
• Mutation - randomly occurs
• Genetic Drift - random
• Natural selection - not random

Week 2 Post 3

The research I did on animal migration was very interesting in my opinion.  I had no idea migration had anything to do with animal behavior and no idea how many different kinds of animals actually migrate.  This research changed my view of migration as a whole, as well as animal behavior. I'm starting to realize how diverse animal behavior truly is, and how many topics fall under it. i may need to consider this as I choose my main theme or idea, so that I can focus more closely on one topic.

If we were to introduce a domesticated animal, like a small bird from a pet store, to it's wild species who migrates, would it be able to migrate along with them even though it had been produced commercially and had no access to wild animals at all?  Simply, could a domesticated version of a species still carry the natural instinct of migration?

Week 2 Post 2

Animal Behavior: Migrations

An animal migration is simply the movement of large groups of members of a single species from one place to another; not necessarily during a certain season.  Many kinds of animals migrate; birds, insects, ocean dwellers, amphibians, mammals, etc.  In her article "Animal Migration", Silke Nebel mentions that animals migrate because of instinct evolved from changes in resource availability due to the current season and/or location over many years. When animals prepare for migration, they either eat a lot beforehand or eat and forage during the journey. The animals’ body weight and organ size may also differ before and after the migration.  During the migration itself, animals may use landmarks, the sky, or even magnetic cues to navigate. Migration is triggered most commonly by the length of days (how many hours the sun lights the sky) and the reproductive cycle.  Animal migrations are commonly studied using banding, radar, and tracking devices.  Bird banding involves placing aluminum bands on the legs of migratory birds and having people who encounter the birds on their way and at their destination send back data. Today’s radars are powerful and advanced enough to plot the location, speed, and wing beat rate of birds and bats. Sonar radars can detect groups of fish migrating as well.  Tracking devices work the same way as banding, except they are more technology based and send migratory data back automatically.

The article "Animal Migration" showed a relationship between evolutionary animal behavior and the timing of migrations. The article also displayed a connection between an animal's behavior and whether it eats before a migration or not, which is important because it affects the health of the animal overall; if it does eat before it will store a lot of fat, if it doesn't its organs will change accordingly.

Week 2 post 1

An Introduction to Animal Migration

For this week's preliminary research, I decided to focus on the migration of animals.  Right away, I learned that not only mammals and birds migrate, which was what I previously thought. 

Table 1. Guinness records held by animal migrants
Smallest migrant	1–2 mm long	Zooplankton (crab larvae, copepods, etc.)
Largest migrant	24–27 m long	Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Longest mammal migration	Up to 8,500 km each way	Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Longest insect migration	Up to 4,750 km in the autumn	Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Longest recorded round-trip	80,000 km	Artic tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Highest migration altitude	9,000 asl	Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus)
Source: Hoare 2009, Egevang et al. 2010

Some facts I learned about animal migration are:

• The longest insect migration is performed by the monarch butterfly
• Animals migrate for more food or breeding
• Some salmon go to the ocean for food then come back upstream for breeding
• Migrants either eat before or after the migration
• Animals' bodies change accordingly
• Humans have known of animal migration from the Stone Age

Week 1 Post 3

After doing some preliminary research, I was very surprised to find how broad of a subject animal behavior truly is. There are many different topics to focus on, and there's a lot more to animal behavior than how an animal acts physically (which was my prior understanding). The research changed my view on the topic of animal behavior and made me more aware of how diverse of a topic it is, and how many different subjects there are for me to focus on.

I wonder if and how the study of animal behavior has directly benefitted humans. And how we as humans behave according to our eyesight and other sensory structures.

Week 1 Post 2

Animal Behavior: Sensory and Eyesight

Animal behavior is a very diverse topic. The way animals find food, reproduce, travel/migrate, communicate, etc. are all influenced by their behavior. The way an animal behaves can be very reliant on the sensory structures of the animal; the eyes, ears, and even skin. In "What Functions of Living Systems Underlie Behavior?", Michael D. Breed talks about how an animal's eyesight can actually affect its behavior. Most animals have either monochromatic vision or trichromatic vision. Monochromatic vision is the ability to see in black and white, while trichromatic vision is the ability to see the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and their mixtures. Whether an animal has monochromatic eyesight or trichromatic can affect their behavior. Having monochromatic eyesight gives the animal more sensitivity of light, as they can only see something as dark and light instead of in color. This also makes them reliant on shapes and movements, while trichromatic animals rely on an indication by color. For example, bulls are actually color blind, so when a large red cloth is waved in front of them, they are actually threatened by the sporadic movements of the cloth itself, not its color. The same goes for many trichromatic predatory animals; when they see a brightly colored amphibian (frogs, salamanders, etc.) or snake, they correlate the bright colors with danger and death.

The article "What Functions of Living Systems Underlie Behavior?" showed the relationship between animals' sensory structures and the way they behave by showing that the type of eyesight an animal has directly correlates with the way they react in different situations.  Animal behavior can be connected with many other variables such as stress, hormones, and diet as well; it is a very diverse and complicated topic of science.

Week 1 Post 1

An Introduction to Animal Behavior

Before I start my online animal behavior course on February 7th, I started to perform some preliminary research on the basics and fundamentals of animal behavior.
After some general googling of animal behavior, I stumbled upon a very informative website:

http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/animal-behavior-13228230

The website includes a general introduction to animal behavior, and then many links to basic, intermediate, and advanced topics within the subject of animal behavior. 

For this week of research, I chose to focus on the diversity of animal behavior during the first few days to get a better understanding of all the different types. These are a few facts from the topic:

• Animal behavior is influenced by 
• Genetic mechanisms
• Physiological mechanisms
• Growth from embryo to juvenile
• The purpose of animal behavior is to learn more about how the animal interacts with its environment and how it is changing and has changed over time
• The social aspect of animal behavior actually adapts over time
• Example: a species of gazelle becoming more and more aggressive towards lions over time
• Social behavior can be connected with natural selection

Introduction

My name is Rabsa Naseer and I am a junior at Roosevelt High School as well as Central Academy. For my GT Extended Learning Seminar class, I will be completing an online course through edX. The course I will be completing is called Introduction to Animal Behaviour and is offered by Wageningen University & Research.
Through this course, I will learn about the fundamentals of animal behavior, specifically:

• Learning, Cognition, and Development
• Finding Food and Avoiding Predators 
• Mating Systems and Parental Care 
• Living In Groups 

My interest for this course came from my passion for animals. I plan to pursue a career in scientific research, specifically biology/zoology. So, this course could help me gain a basic understanding of animal behavior, a topic I may work with in the future.

This course will help me in the future by giving me some amount of background knowledge on a topic I may pursue in college, which could help me acquire the major of my choice when I apply. The process of completing this course in the duration of this class also requires doing prior research and further research in comparison to the completed course. That will help me learn how to synthesize and compare information on the same topic from different sources. And, as with most online courses, this course will have a weekly schedule which I will have to follow in order to pass, which will help my time management skills.