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Development of Behavior: Zool-705 Chapter 3: Animal Behavior by John Alcock
Development of Behavior: Zool-705 Chapter 3: Animal Behavior by John Alcock
Zool-705
Chapter 3: Animal Behavior
By John Alcock
The Development of Behavior
• Concept: development is an interactive
process.
• Genetic information interacts with
changing internal and external
environments.
• This assembles an organism, as a whole,
with special properties and abilities.
The Interactive Theory of
Development
• Development is an interactive process in which
genes are turned on or off by appropriate
signals.
• Such signals are derived from external
environment.
• Genes are turned on….chemical reactions within
cells are changed…..eventually proximate
mechanisms are modified
• This brings changes in behavior e.g.,
honeybees’ behavior keeps changing over the
course of their lives.
The Interactive Theory of
Development
• No trait is “genetic” as opposed to
“environmental”
• Nor any trait is determined by environment
alone without genetic information.
• So, no so-called genetically determined
traits (nature) or so-called environmentally
determined (nurture).
• How then we look at the instincts and
learning?
Honeybees Do Fascinating Things-
An example of Interactive Theory of
Development
• Many insects depend heavily on simple innate
behaviors.
• But some like honeybees show fascinating behaviors.
• Worker honeybees spend lives in helping hivemates.
• Take care of the eggs and larvae of their queen.
• Construct honeycomb
• Regulate hive temperature
• Defend colony against parasites and predators
• Collect pollen and nectar for the colony to survive and
grow
• Workers go through a regular progression of
occupations
The Interactive Theory of
Development
• Honeybees when they emerge as adults
first work at cleansing cells then as they
age they shift to other tasks.