What is ethology?

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What is ethology?They call it science in the cradle. Indeed, it is the youngest among other biological sciences. She is a little over fifty years old. But it occupies a special place in biology, and the need for its research is increasing every year. It is about ethology - the science of animal behavior.

What is ethology?What is Behavior? To put it succinctly, we can say this: behavior is movement. Observe any animal, say a cat, and you will see that its movements are not random, but are subordinated to certain goals. So she noticed a mouse. She bent down, her eyes burning, the tip of her tail twitches nervously. Another second and she will jump on prey. Suddenly a dog appeared. The cat looks completely different. The ears are flattened, the back is arched, the hair on the nape of the neck has risen - do not approach, it will be bad. In one case, the cat hunts, in the other, it defends itself, that is, it makes a number of movements depending on the specific situation. The effect of an animal on certain stimuli (in our case, a mouse and a dog) was called by ethological scientists a behavioral reaction. They noticed that some of these reactions in animals of the same species are stereotyped, that is, they are the same, and occur in a strict sequence. For example, a fox, after eating, hides the remaining meat in reserve, burying it with its nose in the ground. If the meat is put on the floor of the cage, she will make the same burrowing movements with her nose and will be in complete confidence that the food is safely hidden.

Knowledge of behavioral responses enables a person to control them. This is especially important in agriculture. With modern industrial technology, animals are kept in large groups. Using their reactions to habitat conditions, it is possible to develop more effective technologies for feeding, milking, grazing, etc. Without additional costs, only by regulating behavior, it became possible to increase the productivity of animals, investing less labor in their maintenance, eliminate or minimize undesirable consequences ...

What is ethology?Here's an example. At one of the poultry farms, where ethological studies took place, they found that chickens grow very poorly. Having looked closely at the chicken collective, ethologists saw that not everything was well in it: the strong attacked the weak, chased them, the weak grew in fear, feeling the constant oppression of the lively and assertive. What is the reason for the fights between the chickens? In sports terms, in different weight categories. Large chickens, feeling their superiority, slaughtered the small ones and thereby won their place "under the sun". Then the researchers took the eggs and calibrated them by weight: large to large, small to small. The chicks that hatched from them were completely uniform in strength. They live much more amicably, almost without fights.

Behavioral reactions of animals were used by people long before ethology arose. Moreover, the person did not seek to change the behavior of the animal, but, on the contrary, tried to use it in his practice. So the organization of grazing of ungulates is completely based on their behavioral reactions. Shepherds are well aware that clearly distinguishable landmarks are of great importance for herd animals: animals prefer to walk along the river bank, along the forest, along a previously laid trail. That is why, when it is required to direct the herd, for example, to a corral or to a feed area, light fences are installed. They are especially needed on artificial pastures, when it is required to keep the herd in a certain area or drive it from one place to another.

What is ethology?Observing animals of different ages, scientists have identified two forms of behavior in them: congenital and acquired. For example, a newly born calf itself comes up to the mother and begins to suck milk, although no one taught him this.Inborn behavior is the most important adaptive trait of animals of any species, developed in them in the process of evolution. A newborn has a genetic program of the simplest behavioral acts that allows him to survive. Inborn skills are only the initial step towards the formation of more complex adaptive reactions in an animal, which it acquires as a result of contact with environmental conditions.

The main way for animals to acquire useful skills is imitation. First, the cub imitates its mother, then the neighbors in the group. Focusing on the elders, he learns to behave in the same way as his relatives, which largely protects the animal from danger. It is known that the young of wild animals, who did not have time to pass the "training course", when trying to domestication die, as they eat dangerous food for them.

What is ethology?In the conditions of large livestock complexes and farms, imitation is an effective method of teaching young animals. So, in order to quickly accustom the calves weaned from cows to eat feed, an experienced calf was added to them. The “teacher” quickly “killed” the food, some daredevils followed him to the trough, and after a few days all the calves were crunching with hay.

In a slightly different way, suckling pigs are taught to feed. For this, the sows first develop a conditioned reflex to a sound signal, which is turned on before feeding. At the signal, the uterus go to the feeders and take food. After a while, the piglets join them. So, using imitation, young animals can be taught to eat food several times faster. In the arsenal of ethology there are many techniques, means and methods for the formation of animal behavior, accumulated over the entire history of domestication and improvement of various breeds of farm animals. Using such ethological means as education and training, it will be possible to transfer animals to full self-service, developing in them such a type of behavior in which they themselves will choose food, set the microclimate in the room, etc. How will they do it. make? By pressing the various levers and buttons. It became stuffy in the room - the cow pressed the button, and the ventilation turned on, she wanted to eat - she moved the lever, hay fell into the trough. For example, many farms already have automatic drinkers. I pressed the calf with his nose - please drink.

Ethology is a very young science, but it has a great future.

Yu.P. Kovyryalov


Harrier   From the forest - to dictionaries (etymology of familiar words)

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