Lecture 5 - Social Behaviors PDF

NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR https://www.pinterest.com/pin/392798398721761118/ NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR The neural mechanisms constitute proximate causes of behavior Receptor cells acquire sensory information form the environment → interneurons process the information → nerves → CNS → responses. h...

NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR https://www.pinterest.com/pin/392798398721761118/ NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR The neural mechanisms constitute proximate causes of behavior Receptor cells acquire sensory information form the environment → interneurons process the information → nerves → CNS → responses. https://getrevising.co.uk/revision-notes/science-biology-5 NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR Different species → different neural mechanisms → tasks are performed differently → species differ in their behavior. So, are animal brains different ? https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2017/11/29/grumpy-cat-study-dogs/ http://yousense.info/68696e64627261696e/hindbrain-anatomy-britannicacom.html https://www.slideshare.net/raynamharris/evolution-of-social-brains https://sharibroder.com/ep-47-how-using-your-brain-helps-you-lose-weight/ Sorry Grumpy Cat, study finds dogs are brainier than cats! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ah5G9iYLO0 http://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vmw98 NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR At the ultimate levels (ultimate causes of behavior) animals differ in their neurophysiology because of different selection pressure: highly specialized sensory cells in different species. Star-nosed mole http://discovermagazine.com/2014/may/26-20-things-animal-senses https://thunderdome.cc/?week=99 https://wallimpex.com/comedy-hd-wallpapers/4415956.html ANIMAL SENSES https://www.ibmastery.com/blog/sense-perception-notes-theory-of-knowledge ANIMAL SENSES: STAR-NOSED MOLE Star-nosed moles lives in wet, marshy soil → dark tunnels → earthworms (preys) cannot be seen → eyes reduced in size → highly developed touch to identify prey in the darkness. 22 tiny trunks (11 each side of the nose, closed to the mouth) containing a total of ∼ 100,000 nerve fibers. As the mole burrows, the tentacles sweep ahead like a high-speed broom, faster than a human eye can detect. 11 https://blog.uvm.edu/blemmond-sppaccount/star-nosed-mole/ ANIMAL SENSES: STAR-NOSED MOLE These appendages are covered with thousand of tiny sensory devices “Eimer’s Organs” The information from the nose → somatosensory cortex About 25% of the somatosensory cortex is dedicated to decode of the stimuli perceived by appendage 11: cortical magnification http://synapsebristol.blogspot.com/2012/10/weird-and-wonderful-star-nosed-mole.html http://rejoiceinthemission.org/day3starnosedmole_hi_res/ CORTICAL MAGNIFICATION A key feature of primary somatosensory cortex organization (parietal lobe) that is preserved across mammalian species is that different areas of the somatosensory surface are magnified depending on the behavioral relevance of the corresponding sensors. Neurons in this area are activated when the skin is touched, but the body is NOT represented in the cortex in proportion to the amount of skin → the amount of primary somatosensory cortex is directly related to the sensitivity of a body area and the density of receptors found in different parts of the body. Distorted body map: Sensory homunculus (little man) Motor homunculus (primary motor cortex, parietal lobe) WHY CORTICAL MAGNIFICATION? Cortical magnification occurs in all mammals Mammal brain exhibit adaptive sensory biases based on the importance of those sensory receptors that are more important for the behavior on the animal. Homunculus (Wilder Penfield in the 1950s) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/524106475383564277/ https://www.ebmconsult.com/articles/homunculus-sensory-motor-cortex MOUSEUNCULUS http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/07/24/mouseunculus-how-the-brain-draws-a-little-you/ EYES AND SIGHT A little kitten on the way?? Seriously? EYES AND SIGHT Predators vs Preys The shape of the pupil plays: a major role in the food chain; many variations in nature. From the heart-shaped pupils of some frogs, to a dolphin’s crescent form, they all have their purpose. Vertical, horizontal round pupils, based on the way they capture the light and allows vision. http://stateschronicle.com/predator-or-prey-its-all-in-the-eyes-13761.html EYES AND SIGHT Animals with horizontal slits as pupils: goats, antelope, other grass grazing species → enlarged view of the world around them: “the panoramic view” keeps them well aware of their surroundings (almost 360°). Animals with horizontal slits go as far as rotating their eyes to maintain their pupils parallel with the ground while their head is lowered during feeding. The expansive view will alert them sooner when predators are approaching. http://www.olsonnd.com/are-you-predator-or-prey/ EYES AND SIGHT Predators: pupil shape according to both their needs and height Ambush predators: snakes, crocodiles, foxes and the domestic cat have vertical pupils that allows them to properly judge distance through a dynamic view. Animals who lie in wait for the kill, patient for their prey to approach. https://ww2.kqed.org/science/2015/08/11/hunter-or-hunted-why-animals-have-differently-shaped-pupils / EYES AND SIGHT Larger predators: lions, wolves, or domestic dogs who are more likely to actively chase their prey, have round pupils; that also includes humans. The eyes of predators face forward: “binocular vision” vs. panoramic vision; depth perception: to judge distances well; can focus on a single point. https://simanaitissays.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/liontiger.jpg EYES AND SIGHT Nocturnal animals: big eyes and pupils that open far wider in low light condition than those of diurnal daytime animals→ more light. More rods than cones → many nocturnal animals are monochromatic. Tapetum lucidum: mirror-like membrane reflecting light that has already passed through the retina back through the retina a second time, giving the light another chance to strike the light-sensitive rods. Potto: guanine crystals / https://www.pinterest.com/pin/199636195957172784/ https://www.pinterest.com/amydale21/primates/ http://thescienceexplorer.com/nature/video-how-nocturnal-animals-see-dark http://www.nocturama.org/en/seeing-in-the-dark …and what about dolphins? The pupil is of an unusual shape: the upper part of the iris has a characteristic protuberance “the operculum” At low illumination: the operculum is contracted (raised) → the pupil is of a round or slightly oval shape. With illumination increased: the operculum advances downward, turning the pupil into a U-shaped slit. At high illumination: the operculum advances so far that the slit becomes closed; only 2 narrow holes in the temporal and nasal parts of the iris. Tapetum lucidum the operculum http://what-when-how.com/marine-mammals/vision-marine-mammals/ EYES AND SIGHT A true mole has eyes that are useless for vision (vestigial) http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/10/23/october_23_mole_day.html EYES AND SIGHT Does sight play a part in mate selection? Frigatebird Peacock Bowerbirds EARS, HEARING AND VOCALIZATION ADAPTATIONS Many mammals have a larynx. – Characteristic sounds or “voice”: produced as air passes over the organ and is modified by mouth and lips. Birds have a larynx and a syrinx – Larynx prevents food, water from reaching trachea – Syrinx, at bottom of trachea, controls “voice” and song http://www.drneurosaurus.com/2016/11/vegavis-and-the-honks-of-the-cretaceous/ https://medium.com/@IckeIlknur/central-pattern-generators-to-synthesize-birdsongs-f0d09d6936c0 EARS, HEARING AND VOCALIZATION What do these ears do, other then detect noises? To dissipate heat. Indication of mood (Elephants!) Large, mobile pinnae: acute perception of his surroundings. The mole has no well visible external ears (the ear opening is small and concealed in the fur), only internal ears. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/355995545518208569/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/431360470543989861/ HOW BATS SEE THE WORLD Bats make rapid high-pitched squeaks called "ultrasounds“ If these sounds hit something, they bounce back → the bat hears the echo and can tell where the object is: "echolocation“ (as dolphins do). Some bats make the squeaks needed for echolocation with their mouths, others through their noses. “Nose leaves“ help the bats send the sounds in different directions. http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/bats/facts8.htm https://askabiologist.asu.edu/echolocation https://mejoresfotos.eu/imagenes-de-ultrasonido-related.html VOCALIZATION & COMMUNICATION This siamang, the largest of the gibbons: inflated throat sac to produce a booming sound prior to its characteristic, harsh, shrieking call. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWabd_3AEfo http://hamiltonzoo.co.nz/our-animals/mammals/siamang/ VOCALIZATION & COMMUNICATION Communications between parents and offspring of species which live in exceptionally large groups. Extremely important in survival of the offspring; pups are able to identify the calls and sounds on their mother’s instinctively, since birth. Harbor seal pups make a sheep-like noise that their mothers can distinguish individually. Olfaction: females seals use smell to recognize their pups on crowded breeding beaches. http://www.puntamita-adventures.com/tours/dolphins-and-sea-lions/sea-lion-encounter/sealion-facts VOCALIZATION & COMMUNICATION Despite the apparent chaos of seabird nesting colonies, returning adults invariably manage to locate and feed only their own offspring, indicating that some form of parental recognition of chicks (or vice versa) must exist. The onset of recognition coincides with the time when young of different broods begin to mingle. For most altricial species, the critical time requiring discrimination comes at fledging. Vocalization and sight. https://sciencenotes.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/where-to-find-britains-nesting-seabirds/ Why is the development of parent-offspring recognition delayed until shortly before it is required? 1. There is an evolutionary cost involved in recognition prior to the onset of chick mobility 2. Not only would earlier recognition be superfluous for the purpose of rejecting alien chicks, it could even lead to evicting one's own chick by mistake! COMMUNICATION The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) is a marine bird. Blue color of the feet: carotenoid pigments from fresh fish; antioxidants stimulants for the immune function → carotenoid-pigmentation indicator individual's immunological state The brightness of the feet decreases with age → tend to mate with younger with brighter feet, ↑ fertility, ↑ ability to provide paternal care than older males. Asynchronous hatching → a growth inequality and size disparity between siblings, leading to facultative siblicide in times of food scarcity: an important model for studying parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-footed_Booby/sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J47ehmwsbuA http://pointsoflight.org/blog/bright-blue-socks-brothers-team-help-save-blue-footed-booby EARS, HEARING AND VOCALIZATION The grasshopper mouse of Mexico: a wide range of calls and noises → information about location, territory and social interactions. The distinctive circle of feathers (the ruff’s feathers and grooves) around this owl’s face: direct sound waves into his ears, ability to hear acutely; designed to filter and direct high-frequency sounds typical of rodent vocalizations. Humpback whales: extremely loud whistling noises to communicate with each other. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23072-zoologger-mouse-eats-scorpions-and-howls-at-the-moon/ https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/blog/2016/05/24/owl-behavior-hunting/ EARS, HEARING AND VOCALIZATION Many mammals (particularly males) announce their presence and territory holdings through vocalizations. Bull elephant seals declare availability and territory with their voices. Dolphins: a complex series of auditory signals to keep in touch in an undersea world where sound is the best medium for long-distance communication. https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/6/4594496/east-coast-dolphin-death-mystery http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/elephantseals/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4WqofC5uL8 COMMUNICATION Primates: exceptionally vocal and also very expressive in terms of facial changes in communication. http://maragates.net/images/funny-lion-pictures/ https://www.unilad.co.uk/featured/why-you-shouldnt-share-that-photo-of-the-cute-cloned-monkeys/ http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Life-Style/2015-06-11/Chimps-use-facial-expressions-to-communicate/156648 http://koalainfo.com/koalas-and-their-facial-expressions WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuw6YBn6pnk http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/mammals/red-fox NOSES AND SENSE OF SMELL https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/418623727846984898/ The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) The long-nosed monkey: a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey with an unusually large nose and a large, swollen stomach that is made up of chambers containing a special cellulose digesting bacterium that helps to break down the leaves. Big nose: it may be sexual selection by the females, who prefer louder vocalizations, with the size of the nose increases the volume of the call. Various vocalization: honks, alarm calls. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proboscis_monkey NOSES AND SENSE OF SMELL Elephant's trunk, or proboscis: a fusion of the nose and upper lip; in early fetal life they are separated. At the end: fingers like growths are used to grasp small objects in a gentle manor; some elephants have two "fingers" while other only have one; the number depends on the environment they live in. African elephants: 2 because they have the need to grasp more items. Asian elephants: only 1 because they have less of a need to grasp smaller objects. http://animalswithtrunks.blogspot.com/2015/01/ NOSES AND SENSE OF SMELL Elephant's trunk, or proboscis Mainly made up of muscles, over 150,000 different types; no bone and little fat. Elephants, tapirs (Central & South America), anteaters. A hose, a tactile interpreter, a forage harvester, a means of social interaction and a sound amplifier. Tapir: a limited number of tasks they can accomplish with their trunks as well; main purpose: to grip branches or pick fruit to eat. http://animalswithtrunks.blogspot.com/2015/01/ NOSES AND SENSE OF SMELL The Flehmen response allows an individual to concentrate an odor for further examination and send it to the Vomero Nasal Organ (Jacobsen’s Organ). Males when they are in proximity to estrous females http://www.slate.com/blogs/wild_things/2016/01/12/dogs_cats_and_other_animals_flehmen_response_to_smell.html http://cats.wikia.com/wiki/File:Flehmen-response-lion.jpg https://www.petpooskiddoo.com/blog/how-is-a-dogs-sense-of-smell-different-from-ours-and-why/ http://www.tankonyvtar.hu/en/tartalom/tamop425/0010_1A_Book_angol_05_termeleselettan/ch11s09.html The Scent Of Anxiety Inagaki et al. (2015) Identification of a Pheromone that Increases Anxiety in Rats. https://www.asianscientist.com/2015/01/in-the-lab/scent-anxiety/ THE PERFECT TRACKING DOG http://theworldlink.com/news/local/acl-injury-sidelines-bloodhound/article_b1671858-5424-54b6-a01f-b9b49fe39daa.html https://www.themarysue.com/peer-review-jupiter-ascending/ THM Nervous system and behavior: proximate and ultimate causes Importance of the receptor cells The triune brain The star-nosed mole as an example of sensory specialization and cortical magnification Eyes and sight in different animals Ears, hearing, and communications in animals The sense of smell https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science/koalas-use-ancient-viral-dna-neutralize-new-invaders-180969894/