Transcript NeuralMechanisms

Neural Mechanisms of Behavior
ZOL 313, May 20 2008
Neural Mechanisms of Behavior
Objectives:
1. Understand how neurons and simple neural
networks function to influence animal behaviors.
2. Identify examples of stimulus filtering and be able
to explain why it is biologically important.
3. Become familiar with some of the proximate
mechanisms underlying animal navigation.
ZOL 313, May 20 2008
Neurons
Caenorhabditis elegans (worm): 302
Fruit fly: 300,000
Humans: 100,000,000,000
Neural Networks
Neural network example:
moth detection of bat ultrasound
Central Pattern Generators
Example: Sea slug escape
behavior
Stimulus filtering
Auditory SF Example
Cricket auditory receptors
Tactile stimulus filtering example:
Cortical magnification in the star-nosed mole (Eimer’s organ)
Cortical magnification continued: sensory analysis
Visual stimulus filtering example: UV vision in birds & insects
Experiment:
Neural network location and function in humans
Face recognition:
posterior fusiform gyrus
Navigation: right hippocampus
Neural mechanisms of navigation in animals
In order to know where to go,
animal brains need:
1.
2.
Examples of cues animals can use:
Example: How do homing pigeons know where to go?
Experiment 1:
Experiment 2:
Example: how do sea turtles know where to go?
Experiment: