The Dutch Biologist (Tinbergen) Questions' on Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour is how animals learn, communicate with one another, form social groups and choose mates.
In each case, animal behaviour can be considered at the individual level; individual behaviour is determined in part by a complex interplay of the nervous and endocrine systems.
Behaviour is also influenced by environment (Will explain Later)

• Finally Behaviour like all traits are shaped by natural selection! 

Tinbergen was a Dutch Biologist that set out 4 questions to determine Animal Behaviour

TINBERGEN'S QUESTIONS

 

 

• CAUSATION; what physiological mechanisms cause the behaviour? (Multiple Answers)

Example: A Bird sings causes hormones levels to have changed in response to changes in the day length OR Air passing through specialized singing organs.

 

• DEVELOPMENT; how did the behaviour develop?

 

Here the focus is on the role of the genes and the environment in shaping behaviour, In birds typically the male its the learning of the song that the child will learn from its father.

 

• ADAPTIVE FUNCTION; how does the behaviour promote the individuals ability to survive and reproduce?

The male Bird sings in order to attract a mate and then reproduce

 

• EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY; how did the behaviour evolve over time?

Complex bird songs may have evolved from vocalizations made by ancestors that were reinforced and became increasing stereotyped and ritualized

 

 

 

The Answers to Tinbergen's questions rely on an interplay between genes and the environment.

 

the influence of genes is especially clear in innate behaviour, those that our instinctive (Ducks lining up, Turtle that are just born making there way to the sea)

 

 

A particular behaviour may also depend on an individual experience, for example fruit flies learn to avoid certain areas/ locations or substances if they associate them with unpleasant experiences

 

 

 

 

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The Hardy- Weinberg Equilibrum

For a 2 allele situation the Hardy- Weinberg Equilibrium is the best to use......

REMEMBER THIS...

p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1

 

P and Q are the frequencies of the alleles A and a

 

 

p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1

(AA)  +  (Aa)  +  (aa) = 1

 

 

At the Equilibrium, allele frequency does not change over time

 

 

EXAMPLE;

 

A particular species of fish is rarely seen, however we can find eggs and sperm in the water

(these are haploid = 1)  

 

• The dominant allele 'R' codes for red scale colour
• The recessive allele 'r' codes for white scale colour

80% where 0.8 had  Dominate 'R'

20% where 0.2 had recessive 'r'

 

RR (p2)- 0.8 x 0.8 = 0.64

Rr (pq)- 0.8 x 0.2 = 0.16

rR (pq)- 0.2 x 0.8 = 0.16

rr (q2) - 0.2 x 0.2 = 0.04

 

add all the numbers together the total should = 1

Why is Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium Important?

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Important Words in Genetics

The Most Important Words in Genetics and their definitions

FITNESS;
is the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce relative to conspecifics

ADAPTATIONS;
are traits that increase the fitness of an individual relative to individuals that lack the traits

PHENOTYPE;
the physical expression of the organisms' genes

CHARACTERS;
the features of the phenotype (eye colour)

TRAIT;
the specific form of a character heritable (brown, blue, green eyes)

GENOTYPES;
the genetic constitution of an individual

ALLELE;
Different forms of (Variants) of a gene

LOCUS;
A gene in a chromosome

GENE POOL;
Sum of all copies of all alleles at all loci in a population (A1, A2, A3 ,A4)


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