Mechanisms of behavioral switching.
No animal performs only one behavior, so nervous systems must have ways to switch between different behaviors. In this issue of Journal of Comparative Physiology A, several papers discuss how nervous systems achieve this ordered switching between behaviors, from short-term motor control problems, to medium-term decision making based on past experience, to long-term modulation and selection of overall behavioral strategies, such as dominance versus subordinance.
Faulkes
Zen
Z
Department of Biology, University of Texas-Pan American, 1201 W. University Drive, Edinburg, TX, 78541, USA. zfaulkes@panam.edu
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005010:Ethology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology