Hormones and the Evolution of Complex Traits: Insights from Artificial Selection on Behavior.

ABSTRACT: Although behavior may often be a fairly direct target of natural or sexual selection, it cannot evolve without changes in subordinate traits that cause or permit its expression. In principle, changes in endocrine function could be a common mechanism underlying behavioral evolution because they are well positioned to mediate integrated responses to behavioral selection. More specifically, hormones can influence both motivational (e.g., brain) and performance (e.g., muscles) components of behavior simultaneously and in a coordinated fashion. If the endocrine system is often "used" as a general mechanism to effect responses to selection, then correlated responses in other aspects of behavior, life history, and organismal performance (e.g., locomotor abilities) should commonly occur because an

SUBMITTER: Garland T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5964798 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature