Class 10 - Human influences in the living world

Fall 2024

Human influences in the living world

PEOPLE & THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT

Talita Aguiar, Ph.D

presentation

Class 10!

Talita Aguiar, Ph.D

Class 10: Human influences in the living world

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People and the living enviroment

PEOPLE & THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT

So, this is the end or the start?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

What it is the interplay between genetics, behavior, and human influence on the environment?

Animal Behavior, Genetics of Behavior, and Environmental Influence

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins - 6 million years of evolution

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

It`s a controversial field of biology!

But, we can define: Animal behavior encompasses all the ways animals interact with their environment and other organisms

What is Animal Behavior?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

biology + enviroment = always replicate?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

give me examples...

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Konrad Lorenz, an Austrian zoologist, was among the first to describe attachment behaviors of geese soon after hatching. In his classic experiment, Lorenz divided eggs laid by a greylag gooseinto two groups. One of the groups was hatched by their mother and immediately began following her around.

• Innate Behaviors: Genetically programmed (reflexes).

• Learned Behaviors: Acquired through experience (tool use).

Ethology is the study of animal behavior in natural settings

The Science of Ethology

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

He was the first to name this phenomenon “imprinting”

The second group was hatched in an incubator, but in the absence of their mother, they began instead to follow Lorenz. Even if Lorenz placed the goslings in a box so that both groups were separated from their mother or himself, they would reliably segregate toward their mother or toward Lorenz, according to whom they were first exposed.

The Science of Ethology

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Classical Learning (Classical Conditioning): Classical learning is a type of associative learning where an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a meaningful stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.Key Example: Pavlov's dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell (neutral stimulus) with food (meaningful stimulus), causing them to salivate (conditioned response) when they heard the bell.

How animals learn?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

controversy?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Non-Associative Learning: Non-associative learning involves a change in behavior due to repeated exposure to a single stimulus, without forming associations between different stimuli.Two Main Types:Habituation: A decrease in response to a repeated stimulus over time (ignoring a persistent, harmless sound).Sensitization: An increase in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure (becoming more irritated by a buzzing mosquito).

How animals learn?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Operant Learning : Operant learning is a type of learning where an organism’s behavior is influenced by consequences, such as rewards or punishments.Key Concept: Behavior is strengthened by rewards (reinforcements) or weakened by punishments.

How animals learn?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

The study where rats exposed to a specific smell (cherry blossom) paired with a mild shock learned to associate the smell with fear. Remarkably, their offspring showed heightened sensitivity to the same scent, despite never being exposed to it before. This suggests epigenetic inheritance, where experiences can influence gene expression and be passed down through generations

How animals learn?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Nervous System: Coordinates sensory input and responses...Hormones: Regulate aggression, reproduction, etc...Evolution: Behaviors increase survival and reproduction...

How Biology Shapes Actions

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Genes can play a role in shaping behavior...but...

Genetics and Behavior

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

We have to be carefull...

Genetics and Behavior

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Genetics and Behavior

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

FOXP2 gene is often referred to as the "language gene," plays a crucial role in speech and communication in humans and vocal learning in birds. In humans, FOXP2 mutations can lead to speech and language impairments, emphasizing its role in motor control of speech. Research in birds, like songbirds, shows that FOXP2 is active in brain regions responsible for song learning and production. Studies suggest that the gene’s function is conserved across species, linking vocal communication in birds and human language, with implications for understanding evolutionary pathways of speech and learning.

when Genetics plays a role in Behavior

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

when Genetics plays a role in Behavior

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

when Genetics plays a role in Behavior

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Twin Studies in Humans

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

The NASA Twins Study investigated the physiological and genetic effects of long-term space travel by studying identical twins Scott and Mark Kelly. Over 340 days, Scott lived aboard the International Space Station, while Mark remained on Earth, serving as the control subject. This groundbreaking study provided insights into how the human body adapts to the extreme conditions of space and its recovery process upon returning to Earth.

Twin Studies in Humans

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Twin Studies in Humans

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Biology is everything?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

our "understanding" is related to our "social behavior"

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

but behavior it`s also a way that animals interact with their environment

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

how our specie is treating the enviroment?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

how our specie is treating the enviroment?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Expanding cities and agribusiness reduce natural habitats, threatening countless species.The Amazon rainforest loses millions of acres annually.Impact: Loss of species and disruption of ecosystems.

Deforestation and Urbanization

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Pollution

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Global Warming

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Cousin Dino, is that you?

The extinction of species is a natural part of evolution, but we are accelerating the process.

Global Warming

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Global Warming

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Global Warming

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Overexploitation of Resources

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Overexploitation of Resources

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Sustainable fishing

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Kudzu, a fast-growing vine native to East Asia, particularly Japan and China, was introduced to the United States in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. It gained attention as an ornamental plant and was later promoted as a solution for erosion control in the 1930s and 1940s by government programs like the Soil Conservation Service. Farmers were encouraged to plant it, and it was widely distributed in the southern U.S.

Non-Native Species' Impact

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Non-Native Species' Impact

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Efforts to Restore Balance

Mitigation and Conservation

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Mitigation and Conservation

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

We are leaving in a looping?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Human Health and the Environment

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Human Health and the Environment

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Properties of Life

Class 1: The Science of Biology, The Chemistry of Life - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

End of our chapter...but, before...

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

What I expected you bring from this course?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Answers?

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D

Off course no...

How can the benefits of scientific progress in human health also support biodiversity and ecosystem preservation?

How do global health crises (e.g., pandemics) highlight the importance of collaboration and innovation in science?

How has scientific advancement in fields like genetics, vaccines, or biotechnology improved human health and longevity?

How does scientific research help us address global challenges like climate change, food security, or renewable energy?In what ways can young scientists or students contribute to global progress through science?

Does increasing awareness always lead to behavioral change? Why or why not?

What changes can consumers make to reduce their environmental footprints?

How do individual and collective behaviors contribute to environmental problems and solutions?

for your life....

Class 10: Human influences in the living world - Talita Aguiar Ph.D