The Form and Function of Social Development : Insights From a Parasite  

Oleh:

White, David

Jenis: Article from Journal - e-Journal
Dalam koleksi: Current Directions in Psychological Science vol. 19 no. 05 (Oct. 2010), page 314-318.
Topik: Social Skills; Birdsong; Cowbird; Culture
Fulltext: 08. The Form and Function of Social Development - Insights From a Parasite.pdf (197.35KB)

Isi artikel

Social environments can structure behavioral development and affect genetic and cultural evolution. Here, I review recent work on the development and function of social skills in brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), a gregarious, brood-parasitic songbird. I manipulated social composition of captive flocks of cowbirds and studied the development of vocal and social behavior of individuals within the flocks. Results revealed dramatic flexibility in cowbirds’ traits that were never before considered to be influenced by the social environment, such as aggression, mate guarding, sexual preferences, and even their mating system (monogamy vs. promiscuity). Furthermore, behaviors most responsive to social influence during development (female- and male-directed singing) were the behaviors most closely related to reproductive success, revealing the traits on which selection may be acting. Taken together, these experiments highlight that social experiences throughout life organize effective species-typical behavior and influence fitness. This suggests that evolution acts on social skills: abilities that allow individuals to seek out and learn from their social environment.

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