Introduction Flashcards
1
Q
What are Tinbergen’s 4 questions?
A
- What are the mechanisms that cause it?- proximate
- How does it develop?- proximate
- What is its adaptive value?- ultimate
- What is its evolutionary history?- ultimate
2
Q
Trade-offs
A
Beneficial change in one trait is linked to a detrimental change in another trait.
3
Q
Optimality
A
The “best” level given the limitations, costs and benefits.
4
Q
Genes or environment?
A
Both. Behaviour is a polygenic trait, many genes influence it, but sometimes one gene can have a big effect.
5
Q
List some lines of evidence for the genetic control of behaviour
A
- natural allelic differences
- population differences (common garden experiments)
- innate behaviours
- cross-fostering
- heritability (quantitative genetics)
- isolines
- artificial selection
- gene expression
- mutants/ RNAi
6
Q
Give an example of an innate behaviour
A
Beak pecking in gull chicks
