Behavioural Evo-Devo

Aim

The core concept of the course is that behavioral traits do not arise directly from genes or hormones, but emerge from developmental processes shaped by gene regulation, gene dosage, developmental timing, and environmental input.

After completing the course, students will be able to:

• Critically evaluate eco-evo-devo frameworks and explain how behavioral traits emerge from developmental processes
• Formulate and refine independent scientific questions related to the development and evolution of behavior
• Quantitatively analyze and interpret phenotypic and behavioral data using appropriate statistical and computational methods
• Synthesize and communicate scientific results in written form, including a journal style research article

Content

The course examines how evolutionary changes in developmental processes generate variation and diversification in behavior. It builds conceptually on existing courses on behavior by shifting the focus from adult phenotypes to developmental causality, emphasizing how gene regulation, developmental timing, and environmental inputs shape behavioral outcomes.

The course covers the following themes:

• Foundations of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) with relevance to behavior
• Sex determination and early embryonic development as sources of behavioral bias
• Sex chromosome biology and dosage regulation
• Neuroendocrine development and environmental programming of behavioral plasticity
• Developmental timing, including photoperiodism, heterochrony, and critical windows
• Anthropogenic environmental change and its effects on developmental pathways and behavior
• Experimental and comparative approaches to studying the development and evolution of behavior