Troy
Murphy
2004 - 2005
CSIP Fellow
Research
Interest:
Neurobiology and Behavior
My interests are in the adaptive value of
behavior-- how natural selection (NS) has molded animal
behavior in small steps to create what we see today. The
neat thing about teaching the evolution of animal behavior
is that it allows you to take the lesson on NS to a much
deeper level. Although the basics of NS are easy to grasp
(e.g. giraffes with longer necks can reach the leaves
no one else can), the study of behavior challenges the
student to consider how NS can create diversity and flexibility
in behavioral responses. Unlike the giraffe, which is
stuck with a seven-foot neck, many animals are able to
switch between different behaviors depending on the environmental
conditions. That is, an animal can 'decide' the best behavior
based on the social environment (do I fight hard, or act
submissive when I meet an opponent of greater fighting
ability), or, for example, an animal can base a 'decision'
on predator abundance (do I maintain constant vigilance,
or do I snooze for a bit). Such 'decision rules' are what
NS acts upon. Any variation in how quickly, or how likely
an individual is to switch from behavior A to B is subject
to selection, and when one considers the variety of reactions
an animal has to the diversity of environments it may
encounter, the amazing power of NS becomes apparent.
By using behavior as a tool to teach NS,
I will be able to stress the INDIVIDUAL variation that
we see in nature. This is something that is almost totally
ignored in everyday life. People like to categorize animals
into groups, and expect all individuals of a species to
be the same. Nothing could be further from the truth!
One of my goals as a CSIP fellow is to use individually
marked individuals in behavioral experiments so that students
can appreciate what differences really exist. As a conservation
side note, I believe that as students learn to identify
individuals, they also learn to identify with the animals,
and this connection has long lasting effects when it comes
to protecting species and proper treatment of the animals
and their environment.