BIOE 20C Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Observational Learning, Eusociality, Kin Selection
12 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Genetic basis of Behavior
• All behavior ultimate linked to genotype
• Highly innate behaviors “programmed’
• Two methods to test how innate vs learned a behavior is
o Deprivation experiments: animal reared in isolation without opportunity to learn
o Genetic experiments: identify specific genes whose product triggers behavior
Behaviors and genetic cascades
• Genes that control behavior typically embedded in genetic cascades
• Simple changes to just one gene can cause dramatic changes to complex behavior
Learning: Change in behavior as a result of specific life experiences
• Simple learning - conditioning
o Classical (Pavlov’s dog)
▪ Unconditioned response: food/salivation
▪ Conditional salivation: metronome/salivation
o Imprinting (Geese, (penguins)
▪ Fast & irreversible
▪ Occurs during a critical time window
More complex learning - behavior modified by life experience
• Demonstrates a spectrum of complexity along both behavioral axis
• Bird songs
o 2 critical periods
o Juveniles must hear adult songs
o Subadults must hear their own song to refine them
• A very high form of learning - cognition
• Cognition
o Recognition and manipulation of facts about the world
o Ability to form concepts and gain insights
• New caledonian crows
o Make/use tools in the wild
o Able to fashion tools to remove food in lab experiments
• Octopus as well
o Individual learned to open jae to remove crab prey
o Other individuals able to learn to do same by observing an individual that knew
how
o Observational learning
Adaptive significance of learning
• Innate behavior
o Situation where mistakes are costly
• Learned behaviors
o Individuals can make mistakes that aren't overly costly
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Behaviors and genetic cascades: genes that control behavior typically embedded in genetic cascades, simple changes to just one gene can cause dramatic changes to complex behavior. Learning: change in behavior as a result of specific life experiences: simple learning - conditioning, classical (pavlov"s dog, unconditioned response: food/salivation, conditional salivation: metronome/salivation. Imprinting (geese, (penguins: fast & irreversible, occurs during a critical time window. Individual learned to open jae to remove crab prey: other individuals able to learn to do same by observing an individual that knew how, observational learning. Innate behavior: situation where mistakes are costly, learned behaviors. Individuals can make mistakes that aren"t overly costly. Communication: signal from one individual modifies behavior of another, signal: information containing behavior, visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory, often a combination of these. Deception in communication: both intra and interspecific, to persist it must be rare! To trick other organisms it can"t be too popular.
