What does 'function' refer to in Tinbergen's 4 questions?
FItness value. How does it enhance an animals ability to survive?
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What does 'phylogeny' refer to?
Evolutionary history. How does behaviour compare to closely related species? Origins of behaviour and what changes have taken place?
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What does 'causation' refer to?
Proximate mechanisms, how can the animal carry out the behaviour e.g. anatomical, neurochemical, physiological.
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What does 'ontogeny' refer to?
Development of the behaviour. How does it change as it matures, in response to experiences?
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What is singing in Sparrows for? (function)
To attract mates and territory.
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What is the evolutionary history of singing in birds? (phylogeny)
Singing is common to entire suborder of Passeri birds (4000 species).
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What are develoomental mechanisms that determine bird song? (ontogeny)
Role of testosterone causing differentiation in brain of sexes. Role of song learning.
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Why are the levels of analysis in Tinbergen's 4 questions complementary?
No one level answers a question, rather a combination of all gives appropriate full explanation.
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Example of a behaviour where Tinbergen's 4 questions can be illustrated?
Monogamy in Prairie voles.
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What is the function for monogamy in Prairie voles?
Form of mate guarding, increases reproductive success by stopping rivals mating with females. Choice of the male to do this - 55% females mate again if left. So could be fitness pay off for monogamy.
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What is the evolutionary history of monogamy in Prairie voles?
See from evolutionary tree that voles started as polygamous (ancestral state), so monogamy has seemed to evolve.
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What are the causation mechanisms involved in monogamy in Prairie voles?
More vasopressin receptors in ventral pallidum in monogamous than polyandrous. Released into blood when multiple matings occur with female. Ventral forebrain involved in reward sensations. Provides positive feedback for mating behaviour.
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What gene codes for the V1a receptors in Prairie voles?
avpr1a gene.
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What happens if you put more avpr1a gene into related brain areas of prairie voles?
More huddling.
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What is the brain area when v1a receptors are expressed?
Ventral forebrain.
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When vasopressin is released into the bloodstream, what receptors does it acitvate?
V1a receptors.
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What are these receptors associated with?
Positive reward sensations.
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What is the ventral forebrain associated with?
Reward sensations.
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What is the suggested proximate causes of sperm prudence?
Differences in contractibility of vas deferens.
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Based on this, what would differences would we expect to see in the vas deferens in different species?
There would be differences in the ability for the vas deferens to respond to social environment.
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Why would sperm prudence not be due to the testes?
Takes a long time to produce sperm - would not be able to adjust amount of sperm produced based on risk.
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What does opioid antagonists do?
Increase sexual behaviour, increase vas deferens contractibility and increase sperm delivery.
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What does opioid agonists do?
Decrease sexual behaviour, decrease vas deferns contractibility and decrease sperm delivery.
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Behaviours that spread through a species due to positive effects must have...
An underlying heritable proximate mechanism.
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What is an underlying heritable proximate mechanism?
Mechanism that leads to particular genes being passed on to cause the development of particular characteristics.
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Ultimate causes...
Determine which genes survive and hence which mechanisms survive.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What does 'phylogeny' refer to?
Back
Evolutionary history. How does behaviour compare to closely related species? Origins of behaviour and what changes have taken place?
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