brain and behaviour brain, brain, brian!. introduction behaviour is the output of the nervous...
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Brain and BehaviourBrain and Behaviour
Brain, Brain, Brian!Brain, Brain, Brian!
IntroductionIntroduction
Behaviour is the output of the nervous Behaviour is the output of the nervous system, and the brain in particularsystem, and the brain in particular
Evolution acts on the phenotype Evolution acts on the phenotype (behaviour)(behaviour)
Behaviour is the output of the BrainBehaviour is the output of the Brain
Therefore, evolution acts on the brainTherefore, evolution acts on the brain
Key TermsKey Terms
NeuronNeuron
Action potentialAction potential
InterneuronInterneuron
Sensory NeuronSensory Neuron
Motor NeuronMotor Neuron
ReceptorReceptor
ExamplesExamples
Yes, you knew it, moths and bats!!!!!!!Yes, you knew it, moths and bats!!!!!!!
Its not just me that thinks this is way Its not just me that thinks this is way coolcool
In a Moth’s Ear….In a Moth’s Ear….
Moth Ear basically Moth Ear basically has two neurons A1 has two neurons A1 and A2and A2
They are not They are not frequency sensitive, frequency sensitive, but do not respond to but do not respond to low frequencieslow frequencies
Those would be some tiny Q Those would be some tiny Q tips…..tips…..
Do Moths Have Ear Wax?Do Moths Have Ear Wax?
A1 is responsive to A1 is responsive to intensityintensity
More firing with closer More firing with closer batbat
A2 only fires with very A2 only fires with very loud soundsloud sounds
A2 fires, bat must be A2 fires, bat must be very closevery close
Moths and Bats, Charts and Moths and Bats, Charts and GraphsGraphs
A1 on the left fires, that A1 on the left fires, that wing beats fasterwing beats faster
Moth’s course corrects to Moth’s course corrects to 180 degrees from bat180 degrees from bat
So very and totally coolSo very and totally cool
A2, go crazyA2, go crazy
2 neuron ear can encode 2 neuron ear can encode where a predator in in 3 where a predator in in 3 dimensional space!!!dimensional space!!!
Feature DetectorsFeature Detectors
Hubel and Wiesel and Hubel and Wiesel and cats and Swedish cats and Swedish KingsKings Cells in cortex that Cells in cortex that
respond to different respond to different line orientationline orientation
Truly cool, maybe they Truly cool, maybe they network together to network together to recognize objects?recognize objects?
More Feature DetectorsMore Feature Detectors
Dave Perrett’s work on Dave Perrett’s work on face recogntion in face recogntion in monkeysmonkeys
Monkeys have cells in Monkeys have cells in their cortex that respond their cortex that respond only to a specific monkey!only to a specific monkey!
Sort of like one of those Sort of like one of those ‘Grandmother’ cells.‘Grandmother’ cells.
Probably a hierarchical Probably a hierarchical networknetwork
Hughlings-Jackson Hughlings-Jackson PrinciplePrinciple
The Hippocampus, Everybody’s The Hippocampus, Everybody’s PlaygroundPlayground
Radial Maze (Olton Radial Maze (Olton and Samuelson, and Samuelson, 1976)1976)Hp Lesions affect Hp Lesions affect working memoryworking memoryHp Lesions do not Hp Lesions do not affect reference affect reference memorymemorySame with the Morris Same with the Morris Water MazeWater Maze
Place cells in HippocampusPlace cells in Hippocampus
O’Keefe and Nadel (1978) ‘The O’Keefe and Nadel (1978) ‘The Hippocampus as a Cognitive MapHippocampus as a Cognitive Map
Found cells in Hp in the rat that only fired Found cells in Hp in the rat that only fired when the animal was in a certain spatial when the animal was in a certain spatial location.location.
While the world probably isn’t quite that While the world probably isn’t quite that simple, it is still pretty neatsimple, it is still pretty neat
Food Storing BirdsFood Storing Birds
Yes, I know’’ you know that Parids, Yes, I know’’ you know that Parids, Corvids and Sittids store food.Corvids and Sittids store food.Most songbirds leave for the winter, they Most songbirds leave for the winter, they don’t hang out and store fooddon’t hang out and store foodFood Storers rely on stored food, Food Storers rely on stored food, especially in the winter. Without out, they especially in the winter. Without out, they diedieThere are some interesting cognitive There are some interesting cognitive differences, that we will eventually get to differences, that we will eventually get to
If only to feed my gargantuan egoIf only to feed my gargantuan ego
Sherry et al, Krebs et alSherry et al, Krebs et al
Basically figured out Basically figured out that Hp volume, when that Hp volume, when corrected for body corrected for body weight, is larger in weight, is larger in Food storers than in Food storers than in non-storersnon-storers
Same stuff in Corvids Same stuff in Corvids and Al Kamil’s groupand Al Kamil’s group
Hampton, Sherry, Shettleworth, Hampton, Sherry, Shettleworth, Khurgel and Ivy (1995)Khurgel and Ivy (1995)
HP volume correlates with dependence on HP volume correlates with dependence on stored foodstored food
Sherry and Vaccarino, 1989Sherry and Vaccarino, 1989
Let birds storeLet birds storeLesioned HP in half of the birdsLesioned HP in half of the birdsThey still searchedThey still searchedDidn’t find their cache sites thoughDidn’t find their cache sites though
Barnea and Nottebohm (1994)Barnea and Nottebohm (1994)
Chickadees store in Chickadees store in the fall and winter, the fall and winter, lessen off in the lessen off in the springspring
HP seems to shrink HP seems to shrink and grow!!and grow!!
Brown Headed CowbirdsBrown Headed Cowbirds
Sherry, Jacobs and Sherry, Jacobs and GaulinGaulinCowbirds are nest Cowbirds are nest parasitesparasitesFemales have to Females have to remember where remember where possible host nests possible host nests areareMales don’tMales don’tGuess what?Guess what?
ConclusionsConclusions
Nervous system controls behaviourNervous system controls behaviour
Evolution acts on behaviour (phenotype)Evolution acts on behaviour (phenotype)
Therefore, evolution acts on the nervous Therefore, evolution acts on the nervous systemsystem
The food-storing story, especially, is The food-storing story, especially, is simple and elegantsimple and elegant More on it laterMore on it later