Ethology

Ethology is the science that studies the instinctive behavior of animals. The scientific study of animal behavior was initiated by Charles Darwin. In modern times it was first undertaken by psychologists like John B. Watson, who was influential en the uprising of the school known as behaviorism. At the same time, in the early 20th century, some European zoologists, including Jakob von Uexkull and Oskar Heinroth, began to study the behavior of animals in their natural environment. They thought that these studies would contribute to unravel the origin of human ethics; therefore, they gave the new science the name of 'ethology,' which in Greek means the study of human values. This hope was not confirmed, but the name remained. Ethology became then the study of animal behavior made by biologists. In 1973 the Nobel Prize was awarded to three ethologists: Konrad Lorenz, Nikolaas Tinbergen, and Karl von Frisch.

The object of ethology is the study of instinctive behavior with the intention of learning how it helps survival. An instinctive behavior is a fixed-action pattern, which is not learned but inherited, and is composed of a cue or stimulus, of the environment where the stimulus occurs, and of the animal's response to the stimulus. This behavior may be modified by learning or growth, but in most animals it is unalterable. Commonly called an instinct, it is considered to be adaptive; that is to say, it contributes to the survival of the animal.

Common instincts include: reproduction, concealment and escape, defense and aggression. Animals exhibit instinctive behavior even if they are raised apart from other animal of the same species. Bird songs are an example of inherited behavior; still, by experimentation it has been found that birds of some species do not sing if raised in isolation. A bird song is a complex act, as well as nest building, and both must have evolved through countless generations till they became a characteristic of the species.

Reproduction is an instinctive activity usually associated with highly complicated rituals. It is supposed that this level of complexity is necessary so that no mistakes are made in the communication of messages, which must be specific for each species. The flashing pattern of fireflies varies according with the species as do bird songs. Reproduction is frequently associated with migration, before or after mating. In some species, males and females live normally separated, and join in the mating season. The major part of the social behavior of animals is also instinctive. Examples include the care of the young and the organization of those species that live in groups.

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