Evolution of Behaviour PDF

BIOL304: Evolution and Systematics SELECTION – THE EVOLUTION OF BEHAVIOUR Dr Anna Bastian Senior Lecturer | Sensory Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Life Sciences | Durban, South Africa...

BIOL304: Evolution and Systematics SELECTION – THE EVOLUTION OF BEHAVIOUR Dr Anna Bastian Senior Lecturer | Sensory Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Life Sciences | Durban, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)31 260 7719 | Room 04-14 Email: [email protected] Two points to make at the beginning… Studying evolution goes beyond allele frequencies, Mendel’s laws, morphological adaptions etc. Traits under selection can be ANYTHING that varies and can be passed on genetic, physiological, morphological, neurological, behavioural, cognitive traits …  Structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations Thanatosis Distraction Mate choice and competition Sexual dimorphism is driven by mate choice of the choosing sex and competition with rivals competing for the attention of the choosing sex. And what about our behaviour? The complexity of learning, natural selection and behaviour Trial three:  Conformity Group pressure Compliance Individual accepts influence to achieve a favourable reaction from anothers (and avoid specific punishment or disapproval). Identification and/or Ingratiational conformity Individuals conform to expectations to maintain self-defining relationship to others. Internalisation Always involves public and private conformity. Individual publicly changes behavior to fit in with the group, while also agreeing with them privately (this is the deepest level of conformity were the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief system). We can imagine what others experience We mirror each other Mirror neurons  Mirror neurons In Homo sapiens, other primates and monkeys Monkey watches someone Monkey reaching for peanuts reaching for peanuts Neuron in motor cortex fire “Monkey-see-monkey-do neurons”  Mirror neurons In Homo sapiens, other primates and monkeys LEARNING motor skills by imitation Through mirror neurons, we can connect to the actions of other people …  Mirror neurons In Homo sapiens, other primates and monkeys Limbic system activity When smiling yourself When looking at someone else smiling Through mirror neurons, we can connect to the actions of other people … … and their experiences.  Mirror neurons In Homo sapiens, other primates and monkeys happy sad fearful angry surprised disgusted, happily surprised, happily disgusted, sadly fearful, sadly angry, sadly surprised, sadly disgusted, fearfully angry, fearfully surprised, fearfully disgusted, angrily surprised, angrily disgusted, disgustedly surprised, hatred, awed  Mirror neurons In Homo sapiens, other primates and monkeys Limbic system activity When smiling yourself When looking at someone else smiling EMPATHY “Empathy is often defined as understanding another person’s experience by imagining oneself in that other person’s situation: One understands the other person’s experience as if it were being experienced by the self, but without the self actually experiencing it. Encyclopedia of Social Psychology The evolution of human behaviour Mirror neurons EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY asks ultimate questions: Why have mirror neurons evolved? Why do we tend to conform?  Homo sapiens – A highly social species Solitary confinement as punishment and torture tool. Center for Constitutional Rights, and Human Rights Watch: “We know that keeping someone in solitary confinement puts them at very serious risk of descending into irreversible mental illness. That's not tolerable in a society that values the dignity and humanity of all people, no matter whether they are incarcerated or not.”  Homo sapiens – A highly social species Learning through experiences of others is possible due to mirror neurons. It allows the spread of new knowledge and skills, and is the basis for traditions in a wide range of animal species. These traditions may, in turn, form the basis of culture. Large social groups form societies in which individuals form a complex networks. Civilisations. Share knowledge, increase efficiency Cognitive capabilities: The Extended Mind spans over individuals and time High‐fidelity transmission of information  Two points to make at the end… NON-CONFORMITY 37% conformed totally. 5% conformed totally when one defector was present! Individual responsiveness Understanding the big questions such as our own behaviour requires understanding the basic principles of how evolution works. What are the selection pressures leading to the evolution of mirror neurons? Why would the behavioural example increase evolutionary fitness?  BIOL304: Evolution and Systematics Read: Futuyma & Kirkpatrick: “Evolution”. 4th Edition. In chapter 22 read section (and subsections) “Evolution and Human Behavior”. Tomasello 2014: “The ultra-social animal”. Eur. J. Soc. Psychol. 44, 187– 194.