1 The Animal Nervous System And its Role in Animal Behavior Unit 7, Lesson 1.

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The Animal Nervous The Animal Nervous SystemSystem

And its Role in Animal BehaviorAnd its Role in Animal Behavior

Unit 7, Lesson 1Unit 7, Lesson 1

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For years, people have asked the For years, people have asked the question, question,

“Can animals think?”“Can animals think?”

A study of the nervous system A study of the nervous system of agricultural animals leads of agricultural animals leads

us to the study of animal us to the study of animal behavior.behavior.

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Vertebrates have many similarities Vertebrates have many similarities . . .. . .

• Central Nervous Central Nervous System consisting of System consisting of brain and spinal cord.brain and spinal cord.

• Peripheral Nervous Peripheral Nervous System consisting of System consisting of nerves that carry nerves that carry information to and information to and from the rest of the from the rest of the body to the central body to the central nervous system.nervous system.

Did you know? Protein is vital in the development of

vertebrate soft tissues, which includes the nervous system.

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There are some There are some differences . . . differences . . . • The overall size of brains differ, where The overall size of brains differ, where

some brains are larger than others some brains are larger than others

• There are noticeable structure There are noticeable structure differences in particular places when differences in particular places when comparing brainscomparing brains

• In some brains the In some brains the cerebral cortexcerebral cortex is is particularly smooth and in some others particularly smooth and in some others there is lots of cortical folding there is lots of cortical folding

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What do these differences What do these differences mean?mean?• As brains have As brains have

evolved, areas that evolved, areas that control senses, control senses, instinct and instinct and coordination have coordination have became predominant.became predominant.

• In a human brain, the In a human brain, the area dedicated to area dedicated to thinking (cerebrum) thinking (cerebrum) covers up and covers up and dominates anything dominates anything else. It also has folds else. It also has folds that increase the that increase the surface area.surface area.

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So, can animals think?So, can animals think?This is a very controversial topic!This is a very controversial topic!

• Some believe that we tend to only measure Some believe that we tend to only measure intelligence in terms of human understanding, intelligence in terms of human understanding, so we see animals as lesser when they might so we see animals as lesser when they might have some areas that are more developed have some areas that are more developed than ours.than ours.

• Others believe that animals are acting off a Others believe that animals are acting off a combination of learned responses and combination of learned responses and instinct.instinct.

• Others see them as having equal intelligence Others see them as having equal intelligence to humans and fight for their rights.to humans and fight for their rights.

What do you think?What do you think?

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There is no clear answer.There is no clear answer.

• The area of animal intelligence is The area of animal intelligence is constantly being studied by hundreds constantly being studied by hundreds of scientists.of scientists.

• However, the study of animal However, the study of animal behavior is essential to the behavior is essential to the production of agricultural animals. production of agricultural animals. This is the area we will focus on.This is the area we will focus on.

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EthologyEthology

• The scientific study of an animal’s The scientific study of an animal’s behavior in response to its behavior in response to its environment.environment.– Knowledge of animal behavior is essential Knowledge of animal behavior is essential

to understanding the whole animal and its to understanding the whole animal and its ability to adapt to various management ability to adapt to various management systems.systems.

– Involves the interaction of inherited Involves the interaction of inherited abilities and environmental experiences.abilities and environmental experiences.

– Producers who understand patterns of Producers who understand patterns of behavior can manage and train animals behavior can manage and train animals more effectively.more effectively.

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InstinctInstinct

• Reflexes and Reflexes and responses an responses an animal has at animal has at birthbirth– At birth, all At birth, all

mammals have mammals have instinct to nurse.instinct to nurse.

– After hatching, After hatching, chicks begin chicks begin pecking to pecking to obtain feed.obtain feed.

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HabituationHabituation• Learning to respond without thinking.Learning to respond without thinking.

– Response to a certain stimulus is Response to a certain stimulus is established as a result of habituation.established as a result of habituation.

– Conditioning is learning to respond in a Conditioning is learning to respond in a particular way to stimulus as a result of particular way to stimulus as a result of reinforcement when the proper response reinforcement when the proper response is made.is made.•Reinforcement usually in the form of a Reinforcement usually in the form of a

reward.reward.•Trial and error is used until correct response Trial and error is used until correct response

is found.is found.•Example: newborn searches for place to Example: newborn searches for place to

nurse because its hungry and receives nurse because its hungry and receives reward of milk when proper place is found.reward of milk when proper place is found.

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ReasoningReasoning

• The ability to The ability to respond correctly respond correctly to a stimulus the to a stimulus the first time that a first time that a new situation is new situation is presented. presented.

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Intelligence Intelligence

• The ability to learn to adjust The ability to learn to adjust successfully to certain situations.successfully to certain situations.– Short-term memoryShort-term memory– Long-term memoryLong-term memory

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Pavlov’s DogsPavlov’s Dogs• Ivan Pavlov worked to unveil the secrets of the

digestive system and he also studied what signals triggered related phenomena, such as the secretion of saliva.

• When a dog encounters food, saliva starts to pour from the salivary glands located in the back of its oral cavity.– saliva needed in order to make the food easier to swallow

• Pavlov became interested in studying reflexes when he saw that the dogs drooled without the proper stimulus. – No food was in sight - their saliva still dribbled. – Every time the dogs were served food, the person who served

the food was wearing a lab coat. Therefore, the dogs reacted as if food was on its way whenever they saw a lab coat.

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Pavlov’s DogsPavlov’s Dogs

• Pavlov then tried to figure out how these phenomena were linked. For example, he struck a bell when the dogs were fed. If the bell was sounded in close association with their meal, the dogs learned to associate the sound of the bell with food. After a while, at the mere sound of the bell, they responded by drooling.

• This is called conditioning.• He was awarded the Nobel Prize

in Physiology or Medicine in 1904

Visit http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/Visit http://nobelprize.org/medicine/educational/pavlov/

And play Pavlov’s Dog Game to illustrate this principle.

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Extend your thinking:Extend your thinking:Compare and contrast these Compare and contrast these brains. Who do they belong brains. Who do they belong

to?to?