Lecture 1

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Questions and Answers

What is the aim of studying cognition across the animal kingdom?

Identifying specific cognitive abilities in humans

Studying the physical features of animals

Understanding how it works, its purpose in nature, and its evolution (correct)

Exploring the impact of culture on animal cognition

Which field applies evolutionary principles to the working of the human mind?

Sociobiology

Evolutionary psychology (correct)

Comparative psychology

Behavioral genetics

What is the emphasis of comparative psychology?

Cross-species comparison of animal and human cognition (correct)

Studying cultural influences on cognition

Exploring individual differences in cognitive abilities

Investigating physical features of animals

What do observations and inferences in comparative cognition suggest?

Individual differences affect the probability of offspring survival and reproduction Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between neocortex size and social group size according to Dunbar (2009)?

There is a relationship between the size of social group and neocortex ratio. Signup and view all the answers

What does scaling brain size against body size reveal?

The extent to which organisms invest in brain tissue relative to the rest of the body. Signup and view all the answers

What does Barton (2006) suggest scaling one brain part against another should reveal?

Neurocognitive specialization. Signup and view all the answers

How does primate brain size increase in relation to neuron number?

Primate brain size increases isometrically as a function of neuron number. Signup and view all the answers

What does cognition depend on, according to Roth & Dicke (2005)?

An absolute feature of the brain such as total number of cortical neurons and conduction velocity of fibers. Signup and view all the answers

What did Herculano-Houzel (2011) find about the coordination of neuron gain in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum across species?

Cerebral cortex and cerebellum gain neurons coordinately. Signup and view all the answers

What did Barton (2006) emphasize as targets of natural selection in primates?

Functions mediated by cortico-cerebellar circuits. Signup and view all the answers

What are the functions mediated by cortico-cerebellar circuits according to Barton (2011)?

Sensory-motor coordination and planning of movements. Signup and view all the answers

What can cross-species behavior and structure comparisons inform us about, according to the introduction to studying animal cognition?

The origins and evolution of our own cognition. Signup and view all the answers

What is perhaps a more informative measure than brain size when studying the 'human brain'?

Functional systems distributed across gross brain subdivisions. Signup and view all the answers

What did Deaner et al. (2007) find to best predict cognitive ability across non-human primates?

Overall brain size. Signup and view all the answers

What refers to the total collection of genes within an individual?

Genotype Signup and view all the answers

What are the heritable part of the natural selection equation?

Genes Signup and view all the answers

What does adaptation refer to?

Phenotype arising from genetic variation Signup and view all the answers

What are the sources of genetic variation?

Chromosome mutation and gene mutation Signup and view all the answers

What do analogy and homology explain?

Similarity and resemblance based on function and common ancestry Signup and view all the answers

What influences the behavior of an animal?

Environmental events and experience Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of an organism with highly sophisticated navigational skills?

Saharan Desert Ant (Cataglyphis fortis) Signup and view all the answers

What influences navigational abilities in different species?

Brain weight and its proportion to body weight Signup and view all the answers

What is used to understand the importance of brain size in different species?

Allometry and encephalization quotient Signup and view all the answers

What does the study of natural selection and genetics involve?

Understanding how behaviors and traits have evolved over time Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Understanding Natural Selection and Genetics

Natural selection acts on variations of phenotype, which includes observable traits such as morphological structures, neural properties, and behaviors.
Phenotypes are produced by an organism's genotype in combination with environmental and activity-dependent mechanisms.
Genotype refers to the total collection of genes within an individual, and genes are the heritable part of the natural selection equation.
Sources of genetic variation include Mendelian variation, chromosome mutation, and gene mutation.
Adaptation refers to a phenotype arising from genetic variation that increases the probability of an individual producing offspring.
Analogy and homology are concepts used to explain similarity and resemblance based on function and common ancestry, respectively.
The behavior of an animal is influenced by internal and external events, experience, genetic makeup, and adaptive value, and it has evolved over time.
Specialized navigational skills are observed in various species, such as insects, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals, which use different methods of navigation.
The Saharan Desert Ant (Cataglyphis fortis) is an example of an organism with highly sophisticated navigational skills, including the ability to measure distance using optic flow and time-lapse integration.
The relationship between hippocampal and telencephalic volumes influences navigational abilities in different species.
Brain weight and its proportion to body weight, as well as the concept of allometry and encephalization quotient, are used to understand the importance of brain size in different species.
The study of natural selection and genetics involves understanding how behaviors and traits have evolved over time, the role of genetic variation, and the influence of environmental factors on phenotype.

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Description

Explore the concepts of natural selection, genetic variation, adaptation, navigational skills, and the influence of genetics and environment on phenotype. Understand the relationship between genotype and phenotype, as well as the impact of genetic variation on the evolution of behaviors and traits.