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SUMMARY:Evolution of behavior through niche construction: architect crabs\
 , cultured monkeys\, and gossipy humans - Mark Laidre (Dartmouth College)
DTSTART:20140519T120000Z
DTEND:20140519T130000Z
UID:TALK52609@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alecia Carter
DESCRIPTION:Organisms are not merely the passive pawns of natural selectio
 n\; their behavior can also fundamentally shape the surrounding world\, ge
 nerating additional forms of inheritance that may have strong evolutionary
  impacts. In this talk I will discuss three long-term projects on organism
 s that actively shape their niche\, generating forms of (1) ecological inh
 eritance (e.g.\, remodeled shells in hermit crabs)\, (2) cultural inherita
 nce (e.g.\, different ways of behaving in mandrill groups)\, and (3) infor
 mational inheritance (e.g.\, gossip about third parties in human social ne
 tworks). Across each focal species -- hermit crabs\, mandrills\, and human
 s -- niche construction can change the selection pressures to which indivi
 duals are exposed and thus have important consequences\, in some cases eve
 n creating novel evolutionary trajectories.
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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