…Nervous system, hormones and behaviour…
L2: why do birds sing? – back to this example. One of the defining features of songbirds is their ability to learn and
produce song.
L1 & L2: Tinbergen’s 4 questions:- there is a distinction between ULTIMATE (why) and PROXIMATE (how) reasons for
behaviour. Function (adaptation) & phylogeny (evolution) talk about evolutionary reasons for behaviours, whereas
mechanism (causation) & ontogeny (development) are proximate reasons.
We have previously covered a few proximate mechanisms: bees (expression time course), polyphenisms (developmental
switch) and learning can be grouped into ontogeny (development) and single gene & polygenic behaviours into mechanism
(causation). Now moving onto more proximate mechanisms in the form of the nervous system and hormones.
Cognition
Cognition = problem-solving ability
Many cognitive behaviours such as tool making -thought to be the privilege of humans BUT
Numerous non-human examples
Primates (chimp, gorilla, orangutan)
Woodpecker finch in Galapagos – able to use tools such as twigs to obtain food in a similar way to
primates
New Caledonian crows
Choose tools that can do the job
If none of the offered tools is suitable, they make the tools themselves
Cognition: Multi-step task crows:-
Short stick on piece of string, 3 stones inside cages and longer stick trapped in box. Crow uses short stick to
obtain stones from cages. Crow must drop stones on trap door to release long stick. Using long stick, can
finally obtain food. 8 seperate stages which must be completed in a specific order in order to access food.
, Animals with these cognitive behaviours can generalise them to new, not previously encountered tests.
Cognition: dog communication:-
Humans domesticated dogs about 30,000 years ago
selective breeding -ability to communicate with dogs
dogs “understand” humans exceptionally well
hand-reared dog vs. wolf pups: Even though they have been reared in a similar
environment, dogs are able to read cues from owners and other people better than
wolves can. Human looks/points at bucket with food under it, dogs better at
obtaining food. However, lack of clarity with how studies were carried out
(experiments have shown carrying out this task with wolves outside
obtains different results).
Cognition: wasp face recognition:-
Other examples of cognition also occur in species not considered to be
‘smart’. Left: one species of wasp, faces of different individuals. Right:
closely related species with much more similar faces. Wasps in a maze
given a choice between faces – left hand side can learn to associate a
particular face with an electric shock better than right hand species. Even if
faces are mixed up (take off antennae, rearranged different pieces of face),
wasps are still able to recognise faces.
Why different – face variability & recognition?
o P. fuscatus – multiple unrelated female founders of colony compete
for dominance, in order to establish a hierarchy or reproductive
success. Hence, it would be advantageous to learn the faces of other
females to keep track of this dominance hierarchy.
o P. metricus – solitary females, thus no selection for being able to tell others apart
Social brain hypothesis
o aka Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis
o Advanced problem solving needed to interact with conspecifics – increase RS in social species
L2: why do birds sing? – back to this example. One of the defining features of songbirds is their ability to learn and
produce song.
L1 & L2: Tinbergen’s 4 questions:- there is a distinction between ULTIMATE (why) and PROXIMATE (how) reasons for
behaviour. Function (adaptation) & phylogeny (evolution) talk about evolutionary reasons for behaviours, whereas
mechanism (causation) & ontogeny (development) are proximate reasons.
We have previously covered a few proximate mechanisms: bees (expression time course), polyphenisms (developmental
switch) and learning can be grouped into ontogeny (development) and single gene & polygenic behaviours into mechanism
(causation). Now moving onto more proximate mechanisms in the form of the nervous system and hormones.
Cognition
Cognition = problem-solving ability
Many cognitive behaviours such as tool making -thought to be the privilege of humans BUT
Numerous non-human examples
Primates (chimp, gorilla, orangutan)
Woodpecker finch in Galapagos – able to use tools such as twigs to obtain food in a similar way to
primates
New Caledonian crows
Choose tools that can do the job
If none of the offered tools is suitable, they make the tools themselves
Cognition: Multi-step task crows:-
Short stick on piece of string, 3 stones inside cages and longer stick trapped in box. Crow uses short stick to
obtain stones from cages. Crow must drop stones on trap door to release long stick. Using long stick, can
finally obtain food. 8 seperate stages which must be completed in a specific order in order to access food.
, Animals with these cognitive behaviours can generalise them to new, not previously encountered tests.
Cognition: dog communication:-
Humans domesticated dogs about 30,000 years ago
selective breeding -ability to communicate with dogs
dogs “understand” humans exceptionally well
hand-reared dog vs. wolf pups: Even though they have been reared in a similar
environment, dogs are able to read cues from owners and other people better than
wolves can. Human looks/points at bucket with food under it, dogs better at
obtaining food. However, lack of clarity with how studies were carried out
(experiments have shown carrying out this task with wolves outside
obtains different results).
Cognition: wasp face recognition:-
Other examples of cognition also occur in species not considered to be
‘smart’. Left: one species of wasp, faces of different individuals. Right:
closely related species with much more similar faces. Wasps in a maze
given a choice between faces – left hand side can learn to associate a
particular face with an electric shock better than right hand species. Even if
faces are mixed up (take off antennae, rearranged different pieces of face),
wasps are still able to recognise faces.
Why different – face variability & recognition?
o P. fuscatus – multiple unrelated female founders of colony compete
for dominance, in order to establish a hierarchy or reproductive
success. Hence, it would be advantageous to learn the faces of other
females to keep track of this dominance hierarchy.
o P. metricus – solitary females, thus no selection for being able to tell others apart
Social brain hypothesis
o aka Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis
o Advanced problem solving needed to interact with conspecifics – increase RS in social species
