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