Tinbergens
What are Tinbergens 4 questions?
Causation - HOW does it happen
Function - WHY does it happen
Ontogeny - HOW does it develop
Phylogeny - HOW/WHEN did it evolve
What are aspects of the Hormonal and pheromonal systems
Chemical
Longer acting
Target specific tissues
What does initiation do in neural control of behaviour
Stimulus internal or external
Threshold and action potential
Summation - temporal or spatial (whether or not to cause action)
Temporal summation - addition of single stimuli over short period of time
spatial summation - involves stimulation of several spatially separated neurons at the same time
How do hormones and behaviour work together
Hormones do not cause behaviour - the do initiate physiological actions which may be necessary for a behaviour
Release could cause another hormone to be release or Release could directly cause an organ to change behaviour
What is vision
A balance between light sensitivity and colour detection
significant species differences - cones = bright light and colour vision, rods = dim light and not responsive to colour
Balance depends on species behaviour and dependence on visual information
What is physiology related to with tinbergens questions?
Is related to the how questions
- Immediate or proximate causation immediately responsible for something
- development
How are the neural and sensory systems connected with the hormonal and pheromonal systems
They are interconnected
Neural -> hormonal via hypothalamus
Pheromonal -> neural via sensory systems
What does inhibition and coordination do in neural control of behaviour
Inhibition is necessary for coordination
Neural inhibition - walking: opposing muscles are inhibited
Behavioural inhibition - can only do one thing at a time, alternate bouts of feeding and drinking
What is the overlap with the nervous system and hormonal systems?
Many hormones have dual action
- act as a neurotransmitter in a nervous system
- Act as hormones in circulatory system
i.e. testosterone
What are the different types of vision within species
Nocturnal species - one receptor type = see grey scale at high resolution
Crepuscular species - twilight = two colours: blue-violet and green
Diurnal species - humans, birds: see full colour
What is the differences between the peripheral nervous systems and the Central nervous system?
Simple reflexes - PNS nerves ganglia outside of brain/spinal cord (connects CNS to limbs/organs)
Complex behaviours - CNS = Much more protected so less damage
Often modulated by hormones - facilitate or inhibit a specific behaviour
What is the primary function of the hypothalamus
Controls master gland - importance of these 2 organs
2 H's homeostasis and hormones
Produce releasing and inhibitory hormones
What does control (homeostasis) do in neural control of behaviour
Physiology and behaviour balance each other to maintain homeostasis
energy balance - input and output, growth and maintenance
What are pheromones?
Chemical that is released into the environment which causes a specific behavioural or physiological reaction in member of same species
What do elephants do for communication
Use infrasonic calls for communication over long distances - contact calls - used to communicate location
= 21 Hz calls; 4-5 sec in duration
= Sounds can travel multiple kilometers
How does testosterone change physiology and behaviour?
High testosterone leads to increased aggression
BUT
Losing a fight decreases testosterone production
What are the three properties of neural response
Initiation
Coordination - response inhibition
Control - latency, refractory period, homeostasis
How is homeostasis maintained through thermoregulation
Cold: leads to huddling, shivering
Heat: Panting, wallowing, shade seeking, drinking
How do pheromonal systems affect hormones
via sensory systems
two main roles - signaling and priming
What is electroreception? what uses it?
Fish use it
Dark environments, stunning prey, location, communication
What are aspects of the neural and sensory systems
Electrical
fast acting
Central and peripheral nervous system
What are simple reflexes vs complex behaviours
Behaviours - courtship, nesting, feeding
How is homeostasis maintained through energy balance and hydration
Hunger: hunting, foraging
Thirst: Seek water, drink
what is umwelt
German word meaning environment or surroundings, used to describe - the individual sensory environment and behavioural capabilities of a species
animal perceptions vary greatly from human abilities failure to understand this limits our understanding of animal behaviour
What is magnetoreception
Sense magnetic fields
Possibly works via magnetite crystals or visions