Neural Mechanisms of Behavior

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Neural Mechanisms of Behavior
ZOL 313, May 20 2008
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Neural Mechanisms of Behavior

• Objectives
• Understand how neurons and simple neural networks
  function to influence animal behaviors.
• 2. Identify examples of stimulus filtering and be
  able to explain why it is biologically important.
• 3. Become familiar with some of the proximate
  mechanisms underlying animal navigation.

ZOL 313, May 20 2008
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Neurons
Caenorhabditis elegans (worm) 302 Fruit fly
300,000 Humans 100,000,000,000
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Neural Networks
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Neural network example moth detection of bat
ultrasound
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Central Pattern Generators
Example Sea slug escape behavior
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Stimulus filtering
Auditory SF Example Cricket
auditory receptors
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Tactile stimulus filtering example
Cortical magnification in the
star-nosed mole (Eimers organ)
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Cortical magnification continued sensory analysis
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Visual stimulus filtering example UV vision in
birds insects
Experiment
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Neural network location and function in humans
Face recognition posterior fusiform gyrus
Navigation right hippocampus
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Neural mechanisms of navigation in animals
In order to know where to go, animal brains
need 1. 2.
Examples of cues animals can use
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Example How do homing pigeons know where to go?
Experiment 1
Experiment 2
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Example how do sea turtles know where to go?
Experiment