LIFESCI 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Golden Bamboo Lemur, Bamboo Lemur, Sensory System
24 Sep 2017
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Scientists study both the proximate mechanisms that generate behaviour ad ultimate reasons why it evolved. Proximate explanations focus on understanding immediate causes of behaviour (here & now: can refer to changes happening within a lifespan (short relative to evolutionary) Ultimate explanations focus on understanding the ultimate (evolutionary) causes of a behaviour (long term explanation) How did the behaviour evolve: how did it evolve aggressive behaviour in the context of mating were more likely to mate behaviour propagated over time (adaptive from a fitness perspective) Observational, experimental & comparative methods for studying behaviour. Observational labour intensive: maxx-plank institute wanted to see common characteristics between bonobos, Chimps, and humans characteristic the common ancestor had. Experimental the population: manipulate or change a variable to examine how it affects the behaviour of the animal. Independent variable variable that is changed by researcher: dependent variable variable measured in response to change in independent variable, control group group that does not experience manipulation (vehicle)
