Inherited Traits and Learned Behavior

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Inherited Traits and Learned Behavior

• Some traits are inherited by plants and animals
  from their parents
• Differences in inherited traits affect the
  ability of animals and plants to survive changes
  in the environment
• Animals are able to learn some behaviors as they
  interact with their environment

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Inherited Traits

• All plants and animals inherit characteristics
  from their parents.
• These inherited traits are passed on from the
  parents to their children.
• When you inherit a trait, like eye color or
  height, you cannot change it.
• What are some traits you inherited form your
  parents?

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Instinctive Behavior

• Some traits are behaviorsthe way animals, and in
  some cases plants, act.
• Instinctive behaviors are behaviors one does not
  have to learn.
• Examples of instinctive behavior
• Swallowing
• Birds flying in groups
• Migration

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Learned Behavior

• Learned behavior happens when an animal learns to
  do or not do something based on what happened to
  it when it did that action before.
• Example A deer sees anew type of flower and eats
  it. The flower tastes good and the deer eats it
  again.

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Surviving Environmental Change

• Inherited traits can help living things survive
  in their environment.
• If the environment changes, some inherited traits
  may become more helpful or advantageous.
• Example A rabbit may have white fur. In the
  snow, the rabbit is harder to see. Gradually, the
  rabbits fur will become whiter.

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Additional Information

• Learned behaviors can also help animals survive
  environmental changes.
• Each new group of animals has to learn the
  behavior from their parents or discover it on
  their own.