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The social modulation of behavioural development

  • Chapter
Animal Behaviour: Evolution and Mechanisms

Abstract

Individual differences in behaviour develop during ontogeny. They can be due to genetic or environmental factors as well as to their interactions. In this chapter we first address the role of genetic polymorphisms and geneby-environment interactions for the emergence of such variation. Then, we discuss the role of the social environment for the modulation of behavioural development in mammals during different phases of life. The social environment in which the pregnant female lives is of major importance for foetal brain development and, as a consequence, for offspring behaviour later in life. The effects are likely to be mediated by maternal hormones. During the early postnatal phase, contact with social companions provides a secure base for the infants, buffering their stress responses in challenging situations. Moreover, variation in maternal care can bring about distinct differences in offspring behavioural profiles, and specific behavioural traits can even be transmitted across generations by epigenetic inheritance. Finally, behavioural strategies and stress responsiveness can be canalised by social experiences during adolescence as well. From an evolutionary perspective, the hypothesis arises that social modulation of behavioural development is a mechanism of rapid adaptation, adjusting the individual efficiently to prevailing environmental conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Norbert Sachser & Sylvia Kaiser

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  1. Norbert Sachser
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  2. Sylvia Kaiser
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  1. Dept. of Sociobiology/Anthropology & CRC Evolution of Social Behavior & German Primate Center, Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Peter Kappeler

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Sachser, N., Kaiser, S. (2010). The social modulation of behavioural development. In: Kappeler, P. (eds) Animal Behaviour: Evolution and Mechanisms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02624-9_17

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