A critique of the neuroecology of learning and memory

被引:118
作者
Bolhuis, JJ
Macphail, EM
机构
[1] Leiden Univ, Inst Evolut & Ecol Sci, Dept Behav Biol, NL-2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
[2] Univ Utrecht, Dept Behav Biol, NL-3584 CH Utrecht, Netherlands
[3] Univ York, Dept Psychol, York YO1 5DD, N Yorkshire, England
关键词
D O I
10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01753-8
中图分类号
B84 [心理学]; C [社会科学总论]; Q98 [人类学];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ; 030303 ; 04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
Recent years have seen the emergence of neuroecology, the study of the neural mechanisms of behaviour guided by functional and evolutionary principles. This research has been of enormous value for our understanding of the evolution of brain- and species-specific behaviour. However, we question the validity of the neuroecological approach when applied to the analysis of learning and memory, given its arbitrary assumption that different 'problems' engage different memory mechanisms. Differences in memory-based performance in 'natural' tasks do not prove differences in memory capacity; similarly, differences in the use of memory in the natural environment do not provide a sound basis for expecting differences in anatomical structures that subserve learning and memory. This critique is illustrated with examples taken from the study of the neurobiology of food storing and song learning in birds.
引用
收藏
页码:426 / 433
页数:8
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