Traits You Are Born With Versus Behaviors You Learn

Hi, I am Lumi! Look at those puppies in the yard. Notice how they have the same floppy ears and spotted fur as their mom? They were born with those features — no one taught them to grow that fur. Traits that living things are born with, passed down from parents, are called inherited traits. Now watch that robin near her chick. She is showing her chick how to find worms in the soil. The chick was not born knowing exactly where to look — it gets better with practice. A skill or behavior that an animal or person picks up through experience is called a learned behavior. Here is a simple test you can use: ask yourself, "Would this trait or behavior be there even if the creature never practiced or was never taught?" If yes, it is most likely inherited. If no, it is most likely learned. People have inherited traits too — like eye color, hair texture, blood type, and whether your earlobes are attached or free. Learned behaviors include things like reading, riding a bike, playing an instrument, or speaking a language. A puppy is born knowing how to bark — that is inherited. But a dog learning to sit on command? That is a learned behavior! Remember: inherited traits come packaged in genes — tiny instructions inside every living thing that get passed from parents to their young. Learned behaviors come from the world around us — teachers, practice, and experience.