Transcript Chapter 3aF

Biology 484 – Ethology
Chapter 3 – The Development of
Behavior: Genetic and
Environmental Factors
Chapter 3 Sanderling growth & behavioral development depend on genes & environment
All species depend on the
interaction of their genes
and how these genes
interact with the
environment to guide their
growth, development, and
ultimately their behavior.
(Apis melifera)
This social insect is found in large
colonies with typical population sizes
numbering in the thousands.
Three different “types” of bee are
easily identified:
Queen - an adult female capable of
reproducing. She is usually the
mother of all the bees in the hive.The
queens are developed from larvae
selected by worker bees and specially
fed in order to become sexually
mature.
Worker - is any female that lacks
reproductive capacity.
Honey Bee
Drone – male
Some Basic Development Milestones in Various Types of Honey
Bee Development
Type
Bipotentiality
Remains
Cell
capped
Average
Developmental
Period
Start of
Fertility
Body
Length
Hatching
Weight
Queen
up to Day 3
Day 7½
16 days
Day 23 and
up
18-22 mm
nearly 200
mg
Worker
up to Day 3
Day 9
21 days (range:
18-22 days)
N/A
12-15 mm
nearly 100
mg
Drone
up to Day 3
Day 10
24 days
approx. 38
days
15-17 mm
nearly 200
mg
Development of worker behavior in honey bees
Worker bees exhibit
behaviors grouped into
age related castes.
This means that at
certain ages, the be
will tend towards
certain behaviors and
functions.
Thought question:
Can you suggest
potential values to
the order of the
behaviors displayed
by the bees as
opposed to other
orders for these
behaviors?
Gene activity varies in the brains of nurse bees and foragers
An early version of what is known
as a microarray analysis…. a
genetic tool that can show
functional activity of genes (is the
geen actively functional, or is it
“off”
17 genes are displayed in this
image, and correspond to similar
genes in fruit flies with similar
presumed (putative) function.
Note how the colony
designations:
The single cohort colonies are
experimental manipulations of the
honey bee hive in which researchers
have limited the workers to only one
unified age group.
As these data show, expression
changes in bees as the adopt/adapt to a
atypical behavior they learn to display.
YN – young nursing worker bees
OF – old foraging worker bees
YF – young foraging worker bees
ON - old nursing worker bees
Social environment and task specialization by worker honey bees
In an interesting elaboration of the single
cohort data is seen in similar single
cohort colonies in which more of that
same age are added:
1.When older bees are added to older
bee colonies, the added bees adopt the
role of forager.
2.However, when young bees are added
to a young colony, the established bees
become the forages.
Thought Question: How could you
hypothesize about the evolutionary
significance of these induced results?
Konrad Lorenz’s classic work on imprinting
is especially useful in highlighting that
tremendous linkage between genes, the
environmental dependence for expression
of the genes, and how these interactions
affect behavior.
Imprinting is the term used in ethology to
describe any kind of phase-sensitive
learning that is rapid and independent of the
consequences of behavior.
Imprinting in greylag geese
Cross-fostering has different imprinting effects in two related songbirds
GT = species called “Great Tit”
BT = species called “Blue Tit”
Interpretation of data shown
suggests:
Great Tits cross fostered with
parents of a different species have
low rates of pairing success, and
even when they are successful, it is
often with the host parent species.
Blue Tits cross fostered with
parents of a different species have
high rates of pairing success, and
most instances it is with other
members of their species, and only
low rates with the host parent
species.
This shows a greater significance of
ENVIRONMENT for the Great Tit and a
greater role for GENETICS in the blue
tit.
Furthermore, the role of genetics
seems more stable in the blue tit and
less shaped by the environment (the
low rate of mating with Great Tits).
Spatial learning by chickadees
Spatial learning is learning about location
and position. In this study, the bird shows
it is able to display this learning by
searching far longer in sites where the bird
had stored food.
Differences within a species in learned behavior
The environment plays a
significant role in how well
learning occurs.
Here chickadees in the harsh
environment of Alaska show
better memory of where stored
food is located than do the same
species in Colorado.
Nests of Polistes paper wasps contain odors that adhere to the bodies of the wasps
The odor cues that
remain in the home next
of these wasps are
unique to other homes of
the same species. This
odor is recognized
because of the larvae
being closely associated
with the nest and walls.
These odor cues allow
nest mates to recognize
each other in adulthood.
Different wintering sites of blackcap warblers
Different populations of this bird
choose distinctly different wintering
sites.
Notice how SOME birds actually
winter in the location where others
exist in the summer.
Thought Question: How do you
explain these differences,
especially the OVERLAP of areas in
the SAME SPECIES?
These data show flight points that were observed in the birds from each
Summer locale. Notice the clustering of the directionality.
These data are not in the text, but show what is called “circular
orientation data” that is examined through the use of “Circular Statistics”
a special category of statistics.
When animals are collected and taken to a
different location, you see that each
population maintains a flight path that is
unique to its Summer group.
Funnel cage for recording the migratory orientation of captive birds
Here is an example
of an in-lab method
to study orientation
behavior. The same
sort of situation can
be used to study
ANY orienting
animal.
These type of data
require “Circular
Statistics” for
analysis.
Whole fields of study IN statistics
are devoted to analysis of
directionality. The cutting edge
nature of the statistical tools used
for analysis of orientation data,
makes it more challenging for
biologists who want to enter the
field of study.
Differences in the migratory behavior of two closely related birds
Black Redstarts begin to
display “migratory
restlessness” far later than
do Common Redstarts.
Whatever
environmental/genetic factor
that influenced onset of this
behavior has affected the
wintering site location for
each species.
Thought Question: Do the
data concerning the
hybrids suggest the
potential causes of this
behavior? Why or why
not?
To successfully study the data on the next slide, we need to first
look at the predicted and actual correlation of IQ for different
groups of humans.
Why do people differ in their test scores? (Part 1)
P – O = parent and offspring
MZ – identical twins
DZ – fraternal twins
Points to Ponder:
a) What do the data
comparing MZ groups
adopted apart and DZ
groups raised together
suggest about genes and
the environment?
b) What do the P-O data
comparing the together
group and the adopted
apart group suggest about
genes and the
environment?
3.16 Why do people differ in their test scores? (Part 2)
These data for Spatial ability are
similar in TREND to that of
Verbal ability.
However, in examining the same
two groups as suggested on the
last slide…. What sorts of
hypotheses can you make
concerning genes and the
environment relative to verbal
and spatial ability?
What test(s) would you
recommend to further
understand these ideas?
The Fruit Fly
(Drosophila melanogaster)
This species is known as the common fruit fly (or
sometimes the vinegar fly).
Thanks to Charles W. Woodworth and Thomas Hunt
Morgan, this species is a model organism that is
widely used for biological research in studies of
genetics, physiology, and behavior.
Charles W. Woodworth (left) is credited with first breeding
Drosophila in quantity while he was at Harvard. Thomas Hunt
Morgan (right), in his biography says that Woodworth suggested
that Drosophila might be used for genetics work.
The six behaviors displayed (A
F) represent the sequence of mating
behaviors shown in Drosophila melanogaster. These behaviors are able
to be quantified in terms of occurrence, but also in terms of time intervals.
All of the
developmental stages
of Drosophila are
potential stages for the
observation of
behavior.
Fruit Fly Developmental Stages & Life Cycle
Figure 3.24 Genetic differences cause behavioral differences in fruit fly larvae (Part 1)
“Rover” and “sitter”
behaviors are displayed
by larvae of fruit flies.
Measurement is taken
as the larva moves
across an agar plate.
In the work displayed,
female sitters were
mated with male rovers.
Figure 3.24 Genetic differences cause behavioral differences in fruit fly larvae (Part 2)
In this example, we can see
when female sitters mate
with male rovers, the larvae
primarily show the rover
phenotype in the F1
generation, suggesting that
if a single allele drives this
rover behavior, the
inheritance is via autosomal
dominance.
Question to Ponder:
What alternative
explanations are there?
Fertilized
Eggs are Laid
in Culture
Media
Containing
Chemical
Being
Studied
A Female Fruit Fly
Carrying Fertilized Eggs
Rover/Sitter Tests
Larvae develop having
been exposed through
egg and larval stage
OR… WITH FURTHER MATURATION
Pupation Distance
Measures
Pupae develop having
been exposed through
egg, larval and pupal
stage
OR… WITH FURTHER MATURATION
Adult Behavior
Tests
Adults develop having
been exposed through
entire life
3.17 A single gene affects maternal behavior in laboratory mice
Gathering and crouching
behavior is a stereotypical
behavior seen in wild-type mice.
The genes believed responsible
for driving these behaviors are
the fosB genes.
Females who are “knockout”
mice for fosB genes do not
exhibit typical parental care
behaviors.
3.18 Social amnesia is related to the loss of a single gene
In this example, a gene referred to as Oxt is associated with
recognition behavior. In the study, the male that is a “knockout”
mouse for Oxt will not show a decline in “inspections” of a female
in his cage. The inspection rate of an Oxt intact mouse shows a
rapid decline across trials, suggesting recognition of the female.
3.20 A coastal Californian garter snake about to consume a banana slug
Could there
be a genetic
component to
food
choice….. In
Garter
Snakes?!?
3.21 Response of newborn, naive garter snakes to slug cubes
In the experiment shown,
the researchers obtained
newborn snakes (that had
never fed) from two
different regions and
compared their responses
to banana slugs.
3.22 A tongue-flicking newborn garter snake senses odors from a cotton swab
3.23 Density effects on the foraging behavior of fruit fly larvae
This is the end of Chapter 3 Part A