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SUMMARY:Levels of Explanation in Behavioural Sciences - Professor Alex Kac
 elnik\, University of Oxford
DTSTART:20110125T181500Z
DTEND:20110125T193000Z
UID:TALK29679@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alexey Morgunov
DESCRIPTION:"When we seek to explain the rich behaviour of organisms in th
 eir natural environment we hit\, whether we like it or not\, on philosophi
 cal issues. Crucially\, we need to take a view on what sort of statement w
 ould constitute an explanation for what we see. Most biologists agree that
  biological explanations admit many and varied levels of description and e
 xplanation\, ranging from genetic and neural mechanisms to evolutionary\, 
 ecological\, and developmental processes\, and that this multiplicity of l
 evels is particularly relevant for behaviour.\n\nI will discuss these issu
 es in the context of two research projects\, one examining the interaction
 s of brood parasitic birds and their hosts in South America and the other 
 studying the use and manufacture of tools by crows in New Caledonia\, illu
 strating both themes with videos of natural and experimental behavioural s
 equences."\n\n_Professor Alex Kacelnik is Professor of Behavioural Ecology
  at Oxford University\, where he works with the Behavioural Ecology Resear
 ch Group in the Department of Zoology. He is interested in decision-making
  from the joint perspectives of evolutionary biology\, ecology\, comparati
 ve cognition\, and economic theory._
LOCATION:Winstanley Lecture Theatre\, Trinity College
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