Non-genetic inheritance

Question 1

Definition of non-genetic inheritance?

Answer 1

-factors influencing behaviour/development of another without passing on genes

Question 2

Definition of vertical transmission?

Answer 2

• between generations

- similar pattern to genetic inheritance

Question 3

Definition of horizontal transmission?

Answer 3

• within generations

- peer to peer

Question 4

What are maternal effects?

Answer 4

• behaviour/morphology being influenced by their mother’s behaviour/condition
• variation between individuals is better explained in considering mother’s phenotype rather than individual’s genotype
• not genetic transmission
• can act pre or post birth

Question 5

What is social learning?

Answer 5

• learning that’s facilitated by observation/interaction with another individual or its products
• observer learns the demonstrators behaviour
• differs from individual learning because it’s heritable

Question 6

Reasons for learning from others?

Answer 6

• less time-consuming
• allows exploitation of new resources
• less risky than individual trial and error learning

Question 7

Reasons for not learning from others all the time?

Answer 7

• may be more time-consuming to wait for conspecifics than complete yourself
• others actions may be outdated/irrelevant
• individual learning can sometimes yield higher pay-offs

Question 8

What are the mechanisms of social learning?

Answer 8

• local enhancement (presence/behaviour of demonstrator draws observer’s attention to specific location)
• stimulus enhancement (presence/behaviour of demonstrator draw’s observers attention to particular stimulus that’s then generalised
• observational conditioning (observer learns association between stimulus and demonstrator’s behaviour)
• imitation (observer copies topography of demonstrator’s behaviour)
• goal emulation (observer attends to consequences of demonstrator’s action and uses own method to achieve same goal)

Question 9

What is symbolic representation?

Answer 9

• use of arbitrary symbols to represent objects and actions

- when 2 unrelated stimuli are associated with the same event, relation can develop where they become interchangeable