Introduction
Many animals act naturally without being taught since these skills are genetically transmitted from their parents. These behaviors are programmed in their genes and they are transferred from one generation to the other. Innate behaviors can be described as animal behaviors that are transferred from one generation to another without practicing. This reflective essay critically evaluates how instinctive behavior in animals influences all species in the same category. It also explains why all members of a specified species naturally behave in the same way.
Main text
The prairie dog is one of the best examples of animals that depict innate behaviors. Just like human babies cry to elicit a caregiver’s response for food or resource, prairie dogs naturally know how to burrow. I was particularly impressed by the way young prairie dogs learn how to identify relatives a few weeks after weaning. That reminded me of an occasion when I was five years old and my friends invited me to relocate prairie dogs. Although I had little understanding of innate behavior in animals, I had first-hand experience with prairie dogs. It was remarkable to observe the differences in our relationship compared to that of the naturalist as far as animal care is concerned. I can now appreciate prairie dogs’ contribution in creating well-mounded entrances to help them watch for predators.
Scientists often underestimate a spider’s behavior capability to provide suitable learning behavior models. Typically, spiders can build complex webs without prior knowledge or experience. Unlike humans who build their homes using stone or wooden boards, spiders produce silk to build complex webs. For instance, I learned from the podcast that a garden spider releases silk in form of liquid which quickly turns into silk thread after reacting with air. The spider moves back and forth releasing thread thus and creating a distinctive engineering pattern that strengthens the web (Sitvarin, Breen & Rypstra, 2015, p. 109). Moreover, spiders release silk glue at a distinctive point to capture high-speed flying insects. By moving between the spots, spiders don’t get trapped by their web. Spiders spin their web not only to capture prey but also to act as a defense mechanism against predators. Alcock (2013) argues that garden spider webs serve as an anti-predatory defense mechanism to protect the spider. These complex structures can be decorated to signal negative responses from predators or prey. Decorated webs exhibit high deceptive signals to attract prey and deter predators from attacking spiders. Moreover, Spider decorations serve to signal away animals that are likely to damage the webs such as birds.
The caddisfly is the most fascinating animal to watch due to its ability to manufacture its own ‘home’ using different aquatic materials. I was impressed by the capability of this animal to produce casing using organic materials such as barks, leaves, and inorganic sand. These behaviors support the competition hypothesis in the sense that, acquisition of a portable ‘home’ during the larvae stage increase chances of growth, reproduction, and survival. Studies have shown that larvae that lost their casing and were forced to rebuild required a significant amount of energy which affected the reproductive capability of adult caddisfly (Ouellette, 2015, p.15).
The helping behavior in bower birds depicts secondary signaling function. It was fascinating to watch a male bower bird build an attractive nest for mating. Male bower birds construct bowers carefully for their mate which is used to measure parental fitness. Therefore, helping behavior in bower birds has a signaling characteristic that acts as a fitness indicator of a potential mate.
Conclusion
In summary, different species have innate behavior that occurs naturally without practice. Spiders build complex webs to capture prey and also to act as a defensive mechanism against predators. The signaling behavior of bower birds by building attractive nests determines potential mates measured by their ability to help the female. In general, innate behavior in animals provides an impressive understanding of how different species adapt to changing environments.
Responding to two student posts
First response
Another hypothesis that explains why infant tends to cry is the competition hypothesis. Infant avoids competition by crying more often, which makes a mother preoccupied with breastfeeding, thus leaving no time for reproduction. This is a means of competitive survival for an infant. Studies have shown that the more a mother breastfeeds, the less fertile she becomes. It can be presumed as an evolution means of survival to delay the birth of another infant to avoid competition. Newborns do not cry that much since they spend most of their time sleeping. After a few weeks crying seems to increase drastically across different cultures. However, the timing of ‘peak’ crying might differ. For instance, in traditional cultures, where babies are carried everywhere, they tend to cry less. In the western culture, where babies are not carried as much, they tend to cry more.
Second response
The honest signaling hypothesis also explains why infants tend to cry. Crying is not necessarily meant to elicit a caregiver’s response. Typically, crying is counterintuitive, non-specific, and seems to be at its peak in the first few weeks. From an evolution perspective, crying does not occur to elicit responses or to signal pain. However, crying is a signal of good health and robustness. In extreme cases, it is manifested as ‘colic’ which is characterized by excessive crying. Adults consider high-pitched crying during ‘colic’ by unhealthy babies as unpleasant since it does not signal specific needs. Crying increases energy usage. For the unhealthy infant, crying is even more costly hence they will tend to cry less.
References
Alcock, J. (2013). Animal behavior : an evolutionary approach. Sunderland, Mass: Sinauer Associates.
Ouellette, N. (2015). Empirical questions for collective-behaviour modelling. Pramana: Journal Of Physics, 84(3), 353-363.
Sitvarin, M. I., Breen, K., & Rypstra, A. L. (2015). Predator cues have contrasting effects on lifespan of Pardosa milvina (Araneae: Lycosidae). Journal Of Arachnology, 43(1), 107-110.