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Physiology of Behaviour > Social Behaviours > Flashcards

Social Behaviours Flashcards

1
Q

What are social behaviours?

A

Social behaviours encompass interactions between individuals that benefit one or more of the individuals

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2
Q

Two types of social behaviours

A
  1. Affiliate
  2. Aggressive
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3
Q

What are affiliate behaviours?

A

Behaviours that bring animals together

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4
Q

What are aggressive behaviours?

A

Behaviours that keep animals apart

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5
Q

Costs of sociality?

A
  1. Disease transmission
  2. Competition for resources
  3. Increased conspicuousness to predators
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6
Q

Benefits of sociality

A
  1. Antipredator detection, defence and dilution
  2. Foraging/hunting efficiency
  3. Group defence of resources
  4. Increased mating opportunities
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7
Q

Adaptive function of affiliation- monogamous species

A

The formation of long-term pair bonds is critical for their reproductive success- both parents have a ”50% stake” in the offspring and it’s likely the offspring would die if either parent abandoned them

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8
Q

Adaptive function of affiliation- other mating systems

A

The requirement for increased proximity during mating is potentially dangerous

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9
Q

Adaptive function of affiliation-hormones

A

Hormones that evoke affiliation serve as a proximate means of inciting cooperation, as well as suppressing avoidance behaviours from frightening or aversive stimuli

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10
Q

Study of affiliation- voles

A

Male & female prairie voles form long-term pair bonds characterised by a preference for a familiar partner and selective aggression towards unfamiliar conspecifics

When socially naïve individuals meet, they engage in a brief session of olfactory investigation followed by prolonged periods of sitting in close proximity

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11
Q

Adult affiliate behaviours in response of young to separation

A

When prairie vole pups are isolated from their families for 5 minutes, they emit distress vocalisations and plasma corticosterone concentrations elevate four-to-six folds

When montane vole pups are socially isolated, they do not emit any distress vocalisations and there are no changes in blood corticosterone concentrations

However, they do not respond to other stressors - which suggests that they just don’t find social isolation stressful

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12
Q

Endocrine bases in vole social organisation- testosterone

A

Male meadow and montane voles generally have higher blood testosterone concentrations than male prairie voles

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13
Q

Endocrine bases in vole social organisation- oxytocin

A

In prairie voles, oxytocin receptors were highest in the prelimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens, and lateral amygdala, whereas receptors were not evident in these brain regions in montane voles

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14
Q

Endocrine bases in vole social organisation- vasopressin

A

Prairie roles have higher numbers of V1aR in the ventral palladium, medial amygdala, and mediodorsal thalamus compared to montane voles

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15
Q

Endocrine bases in vole social organisation- corticosterone

A

Prairie voles display very high basal corticosterone concentrations, and have higher numbers of CRF2 in the nucleus accumbens compared to meadow and montane voles

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16
Q

Endocrine bases in vole social organisation- corticotropin releasing factor type 2 receptors (CRF2)

A

CRF is released from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, which subsequently caused the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormones from the anterior pituitary into the bloodstream

ACTH induces the synthesis and release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex

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17
Q

Endocrine bases in vole social organisation- corticosterone injections

A

In socially naive males, corticosterone injections facilitated the development of partners preference, whilst adrenalectomized males did not form partner preference

In socially naive females, corticosterone injections inhibited pair bond formation,whereas partner preferences were formed within 1hr in adrenalectomized females I

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18
Q

Evolution of affiliation

A

Affiliation is thought to have evolved from reproductive and parental behaviour for example attachment, whereby short-term associations nave evolved into long-term social bands

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19
Q

Affiliate behaviours and hormones

A

Affected by peptide hormones and glucocorticoids- these appear to function in affiliation by affecting the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin

Many of these hormones appear to suppress the “fear” or “stress” of social contact, to allow individuals to come together and engage in social or mating behaviours

20
Q

When do aggressive behaviours occur?

A

Exists whenever the interests of or more individuals are in conflict, usually over limitedresources

21
Q

Four reasons androgen steroid hormones mediate aggressive behaviours

A
  1. Seasonal variation
  2. Puberty
  3. Sex differences
  4. Individual differences
22
Q

Seasonal changes in social behaviour- stags

A

Castration or stags during the winter mimics the normal process and causes them to shed their antlers prematurely- this causes them to plummet in social rank

23
Q

Winter changes in stags

A

Miles retain their antlers, were more aggressive and climbed in social rank during spring and summer

They only showed meeting behaviours during the appropriate autumnal breeding season

24
Q

Summer changes in stags

A

Males were more aggressive and climbs in social rank, even before the androgen could stimulate antler development

25
Q

Seasonal changes in social behaviour- rodents

A

Mini rodent species shift from highly territorial social strategy during the breeding season to a social and highly interactive strategy in the winter

In addition to the change in blood plasma antigen concentration, rodents also have seasonal changes in the androgen receptor sensitivity

26
Q

What is the adaptive function of this shift?

A

During the breeding season, animals benefit from controlling resources to promote their survival and that of their offspring, whereas they benefit from group living over the winter to conserve energy and enhance survival

27
Q

Puberty and aggression

A

The testes grow larger and under the influence of LH from the anterior pituitary the leydig cells secrete, increasing amounts of androgens into the circulatory system. This increases aggression.

28
Q

Puberty and Syrian hamsters

A

Prior to puberty male, Syrian hamsters, engage in play fighting.

During puberty, this moves into the adult version of aggression

From mid puberty attacks aimed at the flanks, then become adult like to attack the underbelly and the rear

29
Q

Puberty and social stress

A

Repeated exposure to social stress early in puberty accelerates, transition from play fighting to adult aggression

Essentially puberty can be described as a period of increasing HPA activity

30
Q

Puberty, dispersal strategies and avian and mammalian species

A

There are two strategies for attempting to join a new trip, which appears to be influenced by hormonal factors

Sons of high-ranking females often have more outgoing personalities, explore further from their mothers and engage in more rough and tumble play

Sons of Noah ranking females have high plasma cortisol concentrations, and tend to employ the strategy of sneaking into a new troop after establishing familiarity from the periphery

31
Q

Sex differences, male and female mice

A

If male mice are castrated before six days old, and then receive testosterone treatment in adulthood the exhibit low levels of aggression

Females ovariectomised before six days old, but given androgens in adulthood, do not express male like levels of aggression

If these males or females receive testosterone treatment before six days old and into adulthood, they exhibit levels of aggression, similar to typical male, mice

32
Q

Sex differences in dispersal in squirrels

A

Female offspring were injected with testosterone. Proportionate dissolved in sesame oil several days after birth.

By day 60, 75% had dispersed to new sites following dispersal routes and travel distance is comparable to males

70% of the male siblings had also dispersed

8% control female had dispersed

33
Q

Sex differences in play behaviour

A

Males tend to be more aggressive than females, this sex difference in behaviour manifest itself early in development during the expression of play behaviour

34
Q

Sex differences in play behaviour- males

A

Males engage in more rough and tumble play, more chasing, more threatening behaviour, and initiate play more than females- this increased aggression appears to only require prenatal androgen exposure

35
Q

Sex role reversal- female sandpipers

A

Some female sandpipers exhibit brightly coloured plumage, will compete amongst themselves for access to emails and a very aggressive towards other females

However, this six role reversal is not accompanied by a reversal in typical male: female, blood androgen concentrations

36
Q

Female sandpipers testosterone levels

A

Before per formation, female testosterone concentrations are quite low, but after pairing shows a temporary 7x increase- so female aggression reflects increase sensitivity of brain structures to steroid hormones

37
Q

Individual differences and blood testosterone concentration in mice

A

Mice were either rated as aggressive or non-aggressive

All individuals were than castrated and became equally passive

They were all provided with equal doses of this just arrived, and then tested again

Males that were previously aggressive became so again whilst previously non-aggressive males remained docile

38
Q

Individual differences- experience in rodents

A

Experience also seems to be important in the relationship between hormones and aggressive behaviour

Castrated, mice and rats without prior aggressive experiences, rarely fight when tested with another male

If they were castrated after aggressive, encounters have been experienced, aggressive behaviour, slowly, decline over a long period of time, post surgery

39
Q

Physiological mechanisms

A

Function or structural abnormalities in one or more of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, medial preoptic area, hypothalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and ventral strontium, can increase susceptibility for impulse, aggression and violence

40
Q

What are the four distinct regulatory pathways of physiological mechanisms?

A
  1. Androgen responsive pathway
  2. Oestrogen responsive pathway
  3. Synergistic Pathways
  4. Direct testosterone mediated pathway
41
Q

What is the androgen responsive pathway?

A

Responds to testosterone itself or DHT

Androgen receptors have been found in several brain regions in rodents: bed, nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial preoptic area, lateral septum and medial amygdala

42
Q

What is the oestrogen responsive pathway?

A

Response to a estradiol derived from testosterone

Gonadally intact mice like in the gene for a oestrogen, receptor subtype displayed, virtually no aggression, even when castrated and given testosterone implants

Gonadally Intact mice lack in the gene for B oestrogen receptor subtype, just displayed normal, aggressive behaviour

43
Q

What is a synergistic pathway?

A

Responds to both androgenic and oestrogenic metabolite of testosterone

44
Q

Direct testosterone, mediated pathway

A

Only response to testosterone

45
Q

Physiological, mechanisms and serotonin

A

Serotonin appears to be the major regulator of aggressive behaviours, particularly the 5-HT1A and 5-HT18 Receptor subtypes

In mammals, generally low 5HT function/receptor activation or associated with high aggression, while high five HT function/receptor activation or associated with low aggression

46
Q

Serotonin levels in fish (phases)

A

High 5HT function leads to reduced aggression and so is often seen in more subordinate individuals

Phase 1-4 groups of four fish and determine the dominance hierarchy
Phase 2 - all number one fish in group one and all number to fish in another et cetera

Fish that were subordinates in phase 2, showed higher 5 HT activity which curtail their aggression behaviour, presumably to avoid fighting with a dominant fish

47
Q

Serotonin levels, depending on social or solitary environments, aggressive behaviour, and vervet monkeys

A

The effects of 5HT may depend on whether the animal was raised in social or sonic, three environment

Subordinate male version of a monkeys were selected to receive either drugs, that enhance serotonin activity or a drug that reduced it

When they received the former, they came dominant but when they receive the latter they treated conspecifics became dominant

Physiology of Behaviour (12 decks)

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