rising@utzoo.uucp (Jim Rising) (04/11/88)
I told myself that I wouldn't get into this hardwired vs. learned controversy because I know nothing aboutanimal behaviour, but it does seem to me that some pretty complex behaviours must be essentially hardwired. E.g., migration (in birds). In order to migrate and home birds must be able to assess any (or all) of several environmental cues, including the position of the sun, stars, magnetic fields, and in some cases olfactory cues. The olfactory cues, as well as local landmarks, are likely learned. However, how does a young bird "know" to where it must migrate in the first winter, and how to find those places? One could suggest that they simply follow older birds--perhaps commonly their parents--in order to get there, but there are many species (I suspect most) in which the young and adults migrate at different times. So, e.g., a Red Knot that hatches on Ellesmere Island must be born with the inclination to fly south in response to certain environmental cues, migrate to southern South America, be able to find its way there, and know when to stop--then do it the other way around in the spring. It can't learn the fall journey from its parents because they will have been gone for a month when the young knots are ready to leave. --Jim Rising -- Name: Jim Rising Mail: Dept. Zoology, Univ. Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1 UUCP: {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!rising