Erick Sepulveda. Genetic basis. Life experiences. Nature vs. Nuture (it s a tie!)

Transcription

1 Erick Sepulveda A set of activities that orient an animal to its environment Most notable are observable reactions Internal responses also occur Taxes Simple behaviors ex: euglena and phototaxis Kineses Change in the rate of movement as a response to environmental stimuli Genetic basis Life experiences Nature vs. Nuture (it s a tie!)

2 Konrad Lorenz and Nikolaas Tinbergen studies FAPs genetically determined and constant Releasers sign stimuli coming from members of the same species Tinbergen Lorenz Imprinting parental imprinting sexual imprinting Habituation Conditioning operant conditioning Reasoning Circadian rhythms circa = about, dia = day Single-celled organisms rhythm originates in signals from the nucleus Animals and birds demonstrate evidence of both neural and hormonal mechanisms Seashore creatures most likely influenced by the tidal (13 h) and lunar rhythms

3 Most organisms have a short mating season restricts sexual behavior External stimuli modify sexual behaviors light availability amount of available food presence of mates, etc. Courtships Usually precedes mating Usually ritualized and elaborate displays winning male claims the female, losing males are banished to reproductive oblivion Sexual selection female selects who she will mate with perpetuates fitness Penguins - monogamous Promiscuity Monogamy Polygyny and polyandry Bonobo monkeys promiscuous Orangutans - polygynous African jacana - polyandrous

4 Social interaction varies broadly crickets are solitary, humans construct elaborate societies Communication is key calls, facial expressions, postural states, etc. Cohesive behaviors Bring the social unit closer together flocking together in times of cold Dispersive behaviors Scatter the members scattering of wolves as they defend a territory Low resources, high demand Rarely does competition lead to violence Animals have established rituals to deter violence Allows both parties to maintain their fitness and carry their genetic potential Social/Dominance hierarchies All members of a social party must adhere to the alpha member Rankings usually arise from random aggressions Facilitate interactions without resorting to competitive struggles Territoriality Animals defend territories aggressively Ensures that those who are most fit gain the most resources

5 Sacrificing one s own interest for the welfare of the group Alarm calls Kin selection I'd lay down my life for two brothers or eight cousins. J.B.S. Haldane Inclusive fitness Fitness of kin as a group Complex societies are usually limited to insects and vertebrates with highly evolved brains Insect societies Usually based on a rigid caste system Ex., bee society Queen bee only female that reproduces Drones male bees used only to mate with the queen Worker all females, broken into different tasks forces Nurse workers feed larvae Housekeepers tend/maintain wax cells and protect Food gatherers leave the hive to find food Vertebrate societies Less rigid than insect societies Based on a dominance hierarchy system Capable of being modified through experience Culture Established by social norms Can be passed along to future generations

6 The passing of information from one member to another Consists of visual displays, sounds, smell, or even tastes Allows for monitoring the state of the social unit and allows for quick adjustments to maintain stability Hormones Allow for certain behaviors to occur (especially sexual) Pheromones The social hormone Have a variety of effects Sexual Territorial Caste designators The Funeral effect Genes impose a significant constraint on behavior Experience and culture serve as influences, but basic social interactions are genetically predetermined Controversial idea

7 Fried, George and Hademenos, George. Schaum s Outlines: Biology. 3 rd Ed. New York: McGraw ill, Google Images