Flexibility and Constraint in Behavioral Systems

Animal behaviors are among the most diverse and complex products of evolution. They represent a major source of variation both within and between populations. As with all aspects of evolution, there are boundaries that determine the freedom of behavioral characteristics to vary. To understand the causes and consequences of such variation, it is essential to define these boundaries. Defining them, in turn, requires that we understand the biological substrates of behavior and how they are subject to variation. In this unique volume, 58 international experts attempt to analyze and discuss the elements of behavior at many different levels and from many different disciplines. By focusing on the flexible and constrained aspects of behavior, they have been able to look for common themes in the biological strategies for organizing and producing behavior that exist at molecular, physiological, and evolutionary levels. They discuss the role of development and circuit modulation, as well as the versatile roles of individual genes and individual cells in them. Throughout, they have taken an integrative look at a subject that demands this kind of approach.
This volume should be of interest to behaviorists, neuroscientists, behavioral ecologists, and psychologists. Goal of this Dahlem Workshop: to examine the factors contributing to flexibility and constraint in behavior (molecular, genetic, physiological, evolutionary) and to explore their contribution to a deeper understanding of the interplay between behavior and evolution.