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Butch Brodie Assistant Professor of Biology |
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Curt Lively Professor of Biology |
| C E N T E R F O R T H E I N T E G R A T I V E S T U D Y O F A N I M A L B E H A V I O R |
| S P R I N G 1 9 9 9 G R A D U A T E S E M I NA R |
| Evolution of Behavior as Part of the Total Phenotype (A501) |
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Butch Brodie Assistant Professor of Biology |
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Curt Lively Professor of Biology |
| PROSPECTUS . READINGS . CLASS SCHEDULE |
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C O U R S E D E S C R I P T I O N Behavior is included in a growing, integrative, evolutionary biology. To understand the evolution of behavior, we must consider not only the ecological and physiological conditions that determine selective environments, but also the developmental and genetic processes that give rise to behaviors and integrate them with other aspects of the phenotype expressed by an individual. As part of Indiana University's Program in Animal Behavior, the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior is sponsoring a seminar series designed to provide a perspective on how we can understand constraints and biases on behavioral evolution by understanding the developmental and genetic basis of behavioral and morphological integration. Our plan is to bring in participants that study behavior and development from a variety of perspectives and that utilitize a variety of methods to tackle their interests. Our hope is that, by studying the roles of genetics and development on the evolution of behavior from the perspective of different investigators, we will gain a truly integrative understanding of both conceptual and empirical issues in behavioral evolution. TOPIC OVERVIEW: Evolutionary biologists have applied great effort to building and testing the body of theory that seeks to explain how the genetic architecture of a population can shape evolutionary change. The vast majority of these studies focus on morphological change, which is surprising as behavioral modification often precedes and is thought to facilitate morphological adaptation. Perhaps equally surprising is that studies of behavior, have, until quite recently, largely ignored the impact of the genetic and developmental systems shaping behavioral evolution. Studies of evolutionary change have been performed extensively through the use of quantitative genetic experiments; the genetic variation and covariation for the traits of interests are estimated, and the response to selection of the correlated trait suites is then predicted and tested. The form of selection experienced by behavior depends on the rest of the phenotype; a behavior that is adaptive in one phenotypic context may not be in another. Hence, correlations between behavior and other traits can have profound evolutionary importance. Such correlations may arise through shared, proximate mechanisms such as common developmental pathways which regulate the ontogeny of multiple trait suites or correlations can be built through selection. Recent revelations from molecular genetics indicating that small changes in key developmental mechanisms can alter the relationships among traits or trait suites has generated interest in connecting quantitative genetic variation to the developmental mechanisms that produce the phenotypic variation subject to selection; traditionally, correlated traits were thought to be constrained to evolve in concert, however, theory is now incorporating evolutionary changes in the developmental system which can free previously integrated trait suites to evolve independently. The evolutionary potential of changes in the correlational structure between behavioral and morphological traits will ultimately be determined, at least in part, by how such trait suites are developmentally integrated. The evolution of both behavioral and morphological phenotypes is rooted in changes in development; alteration of gene expression patterns or the magnitude of endocrine changes throu gh ontogeny can dramatically affect phenotypic variation. The particular kinds of phenotypic changes that can be produced by such developmental modifications are dependent on the ontogenetic timing of change, and the specific developmental systems affected. Of particular interest is determining the degree to which behavioral and morphological phenotypes are governed by shared or integrated developmental systems because such integration is thought to constrain the independent evolution of trait suites. Hence, if behaviors and morphology are developmentally linked, changes in key developmental mechanisms could produce adaptive evolution of behavioral and morphological phenotypes in tandem. Moreover, because developmental systems are shared among closely related clades, determining how alterations in developmental processes produce phenotypic variation has the potential to reveal the proximate mechanisms which have produced, or could produce in the future, patterns in evolutionary divergence. COURSE DETAILS Course Goals: Behavior is included in a growing, integrative, evolutionary biology. To understand the evolution of behavior, we must consider not only the ecological and physiological conditions that determine selective environments, but also the developmental and genetic processes that give rise to behaviors and integrate them with other aspects of the phenotype expressed by an individual. This seminar is designed to provide a perspective on how we can understand constraints and biases on behavioral evolution by understanding the developmental and genetic basis of behavioral and morphological integration Our plan is to bring in participants that study behavior and development from a variety of perspectives and that utilitize a variety of methods to tackle their interests. Our hope is that, by studying the roles of genetics and development on the evolution of behavior from the perspective of different investigators, we will gain a truly integrative grasp of both conceptual and empirical issues in behavioral evolution. The course will be jointly run by Curt Lively and Butch Brodie. Participants in the course will meet weekly to discuss papers relevant to the topics studied by the participating speakers. These meetings will be informal, and each student will be expected to lead discussions at least one time during the semester. The discussions will follow the roundtable format recently used in the Fall 1998 A501 course offered by Ketterson and Phillips. Evaluation based on class participation, preparation, and quality of lead discussions. Presentations: Presenters should prepare by conferring with Brodie or Lively on the papers to be read and discussed by the class. The presenter should then make 4 copies of the papers, placing two on reserve at CISAB and two in the Biology Library at least one week before they are to be discussed in class. Presentations should consist of not more than 15 minutes of review of the papers read by the entire class; most of the discussion should center on discussing what these papers have to offer the topic of the course or how they contribute to our understanding of behavioral evolution. To facilitate discussion, presenters should make themselves familiar with relevant background and other contextual readings which may be relevant to the topic. It would probably be a good idea to co-ordinate with other presenters speaking on the same day. During the weeks that we have a speaker on campus, invitees will be made available to meet with enrolled students and, if time allows, interested faculty. We hope that enrolled students will take advantage of the opportunity to meet with speakers, attend lunches and socials, etc. We will request that each speaker give two talks, one less formal talk to the course (which may meet during a special day and time for such talks) and a second formal talk to the Departments. Visiting Guest Lecturers: We are fortunate that the following scholars have agreed to visit campus and meet with the class: Tony Zera (Department of Biology, University of Nebraska) |
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R E A D I N G S References are not available; please see individual speaker pages for related readings. |
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S P R I N G 1 9 9 9 C L A S S S C H E D U L E Meeting Time: 3 pm Thursdays Location: Cleland Room, Jordan Hall Public Lectures: 4 pm, Room A100, Jordan Hall Plus: Informal meetings with visiting speakers, TBA January 14 -- Organizational Meeting January 21 -- Insect Endocrine System Overview & Zera readings January 28 -- Tony Zera, Seminar talk: "Endocrine Regulation of Dispersal Polymorphism in Crickets" January 29 -- Tony Zera, Public talk: "Physiology of Life History Tradeoffs: Genetics, Energetics & Endocrinology" February 4 -- Arnold & West-Eberhard readings February 25 -- Shaw readings March 4 -- Martins readings, lead by Lively/Brodie March 5 -- Emilia Martins, Seminar talk: "Phylogenies and the Comparative Method: Inferring Behavioral Evolution" March 11 -- Emilia Martins, Public talk: "Understanding Evolutionary Convergence: A Behavioral Perspective" March 18 -- Spring Break, no class March 25 -- Emlen readings March 26 -- Doug Emlen, Public talk: "Does Development Bias the Evolution of Beetle Horns?" March 26 -- Doug Emlen, Informal discussion: how the developmental basis of morphological allometries may affect behavioral evolution. 9 am, CISAB April 1 -- Shuster readings April 8 -- Steve Shuster, Seminar talk: "Female Life History and the Opportunity for Sexual Selection" April 9 -- Steve Shuster, Public talk: "The Genetics of Alternative Mating Strategies and Biased Sex Ratios in a Marine Isopod" April 15 -- Kerry Shaw, Seminar talk: "Male Traits and Female Preference Functions in Acoustic Animals" April 16 -- Kerry Shaw, Public talk: "Behavioral Evolution and Speciation in Hawaiian Crickets" April 22 -- Wilkinson readings April 29 -- Jerry Wilkinson, Seminar talk: "Evolution of Genetic Architecture Under Sexual Selection" April 30 -- Jerry Wilkinson, Public talk: "Sexual Selection, Selfish Genes and Sexual Dimorphism in Stalk-Eyed Flies" |
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