Ritualization
Socialbiologists believe that some communicative behavior in animals is developed through a process called ritualization. In this process, the purpose of a given behavior changes over time—a behavior that originally had a practical purpose develops into one that communicates a specific message. For example, a certain movement or physical feature might evolve to serve as a signal or warning that other animals will understand. Once a behavior is ritualized, it becomes a form of communication; therefore, if an animal engages in this behavior, other animals will be able to interpret the meaning o the behavior quickly and respond appropriately.
听力材料：
Listen to part of a lecture on this topic in a zoology class.
(man) Let's start with an example you may be familiar with. What's one thing dogs typically do when they feel threatened? They want to protect themselves. That's right, they show their teeth. And when we see this, we know this behavior means basicallyThis scenario, repeated time after time also led to the dog's awareness that simply showing its teeth, a lot of the time that was protection enough. What had been a simple preparation to bite had developed into a kind of defense mechanism in and of itself. The dog learned that it did not need to actually attack; but could get the right result by communicating the possibility of attack through showing its teeth. It started to use this behavior as a warning signal.
Question：
Explain the concept of rituatization using the example of dogs discussed by the professor.
