Control of behavior involves the nervous and endocrine systems. Execution of behavior involves the musculoskeletal system as well as other effector mechanisms, such as those that produce secretions, color changes, electrical impulses, sound, and even light. We have already considered many of the physiological systems that are involved in these processes, including hormones, reproductive systems, nervous systems, sensory systems, and feeding mechanisms. The field of behavioral physiology, which encompasses aspects of all of these systems, is enormous, so here we will dig deeper into just three different phenomena studied by behavioral physiologists: the timing of behavior, navigation, and communication.
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Animals have genetically determined daily and annual rhythms that enable them to anticipate future conditions.
Animals can navigate using landmarks or time and direction information, and some use true bicoordinate navigation.
Animals communicate using light, sound, mechanical, and chemical signals.