Earth Science: Behavior Patterns – Feeding and Social Behavior
Behavior patterns facilitate group interaction by regulating individual rank, feeding priority, territorial boundaries, cooperative activities, and many other aspects of community life.
Among members of the same species, social interactions are simplified by means of specific behavior patterns that regulate their relationships. For example, a recognized system of rank and feeding priority helps to prevents disputes from flaring up over every meal, which would waste valuable time and energy.
Eating hierarchies
Individual animals signal their rank using body language and vocalizations, which are recognized by other group members. High-ranking animals display behaviors such as baring their teeth and hissing (lions), or pecking aggressively (chickens).
Low-ranking animals make submissive gestures, such as lowering the head and averting their gaze. Conflict is necessary only when the hierarchy is undergoing significant change. Even then, conflicts usually take the form of symbolic battles, fought without bloodshed.
Many patterns of group behavior favor the high-ranking animals at the expense of others. For instance, an alpha male may receive the largest and most nutritious portion of the prey. Generally, he is also the only male that reproduces with several females, to pass on the optimum genes to the next generation.
Other behavior pat- terns clearly burden the individual while benefiting the group. For example, when a marmot whistles to warn the group of an approaching predator, it attracts the predator’s attention. Cooperative behavior is also seen in group hunting, when all members benefit from the joint effort.
Learning within the group
Social behavior is only partly instinctive; it is also strongly influenced by watching and imitating parents and other adults. This becomes obvious in studies of animals raised in isolation, which show unusual behavioral disturbances when they lack the opportunity to learn social behavior patterns.
Also, twins raised separately share the same genes, but behave differently.
PLAYING
The behavior of play is mostly seen in juvenile mammals, including humans, and is an important part of normal behavioral development. During play, animals and humans try out initially random actions and observe how their environment reacts.
They consequently learn to differentiate between random and non-random effects. The facial expressions and body language observed during this behavior signals “play time.” This allows for a safe environment to practice and optimize hunting and fighting behavior that later be- comes important as essential but dangerous survival tactics.
BASICS
CANINE PACKS The pack is organized according to a fam ily structure consisting of parents and oft spring.
Sexually mature wolves leave the family in search of new territory.