LIFESCI 2D03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Dendritic Spine, Mealworm, Cottontail Rabbit
11 Jan 2017
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5. 1 learning allows animals to adapt to their environment. Learning: a relatively permanent change in behaviour as a result of experience. *** learning as an adaptation in juncos (sullivan 1988) Hypothesis: as birds age, they should have more experience handling food. Prediction: older birds should handle food faster than younger birds. Mealworms cut into small or large pieces (smaller pieces are easier to mandibulate) Birds were given access to the food type for several days prior to testing. Recorded handling time (time from first contact until consumption) of recently fledged, young, and older juveniles, as well as adults. Handling time and profitability were lowest for adults in both small mealworm and large mealworm conditions. Conclusion: learning is an adaptation that increases fitness (survival) of the junco. Two factors affect the evolution of learning: environmental stability. As environmental regularity increases, learning will become less favoured, because in a completely regular world, evolution will fix behaviour: usefulness of past experience.
