Experimental psychology meets behavioral ecology: what laboratory studies of learning polymorphisms mean for learning under natural conditions, and vice versa

Abstract

Behavior genetics, and specifically the study of learning and memory, has benefitted immensely from the development of powerful forward- and reverse-genetic methods for investigating the relationships between genes and behavior. Application of these methods in controlled laboratory settings has led to insights into gene–behavior relationships. In this perspective article, we argue that the field is now poised to make significant inroads into understanding the adaptive value of heritable variation in behavior in natural populations. Studies of natural variation with several species, in particular, are now in a position to complement laboratory studies of mechanisms, and sometimes this work can lead to counterintuitive insights into the mechanism of gene action on behavior. We make this case using a recent example from work with the honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Keywords:

• Learning polymorphism
• mechanism
• adaptation
• honey bee
• latent inhibition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by NIH awards to BHS [NIGMS R01 GM113967] and CNC [NIGMS F32 GM 126728].