[FRIAM] Experimental dissociation of goal and function

[Eric Charles]

This is a great study, and relevant to one of the ongoing FRIAM discussions.

Recall, the first assertion is that "goal" of a given behavior and the
(evolutionary) "function" of the behavior differentiate, *when investigated
experimentally. *You determine the goal of a behavior by manipulating the
environment and seeing how the animal-in-question responds. You determine
the (evolutionary) function of the of the behavior by manipulating the
environment and seeing how it affects the reproductive outcomes (or some
reasonable proxy thereof).

There is then a second assertion, which is that the animals striving for
the given goal achieve the identified function because various properties
of the environment happen to co-occur. For example, having the goal to
remove broken egg shells from around the nest, serves the function of
reducing predation upon babies, *because *the gull happens to live in a
world where predators are attracted to areas with shiney white objects near
them.

With all that in mind, check out this great study:
“None of the 683 painted “eye-cows” were killed by ambush predators during
the four-year study, while 15 (of 835) unpainted and 4 (of 543)
cross-painted cattle were killed.”

https://theconversation.com/lions-are-less-likely-to-attack-cattle-with-eyes-painted-on-their-backsides-142488



[image: image.png]


<echarles at american.edu>
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