Evolution of Behaviour Flashcards
What does the hypothalamus and medulla oblongata crontol
Homeostasis
Autonomic reflexes
What is the cerebellum important for
Motor learning
Attention
Language
What is the evidence for genes controlling behaviours
Innate behaviours
Single gene control
Transgenic experiments
Artificial selection
Example of innate behaviour
European eels travelling home from Sargasso Sea
Parents dead so can’t follow parents - just know how to get home
Example of single gene control of behaviour
FosB gene in mice - mutant FosB gene causes mum to abandon pups
Alpha calcium calmodulin kinase mutant mice show impaired spatial learning
How is phylogenetic evidence used for evolution of behaviour
Use phylogenetic analysis to reconstruct evolutionary relationships between organisms
Use this to infer sequences in the evolution of behaviour
What did van tets suggest
Complex courtship displayed evolved from flight intention movements
What is genetic determinism
The notion that our genes determine who we are on every level - physical, emotional and behavioural
Why do biologists disagree with genetic determinism
Believe phenotypes result from the interaction of genes and the environment
(Nature and nurture not nature vs nurture)
How do behaviours evolve
Through natural selection
What does phylogenetic studies allow scientists To do
Infer when a behaviour evolved
