Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior
Title: Killers, Cannibals, and Kinship: Exploring the Evolution of Behaviour Using Predatory Nematodes
Abstract: Animals display remarkable behavioural diversity, with striking differences observable even between closely related species. My lab investigates how new behaviours evolve by studying the genetic, molecular, and neuronal changes that underlie behavioural innovation. We use nematodes as a comparative system, focusing on two key behaviours: predation and kin recognition. Our primary comparison pairs the microbivorous Caenorhabditis elegans with the predatory Pristionchus pacificus, which preys on and kills the larvae of other nematodes. Using these species, we ask: what sensory adaptations enable P. pacificus to detect prey? What neural circuits establish its predatory drive? How does it distinguish kin from non-kin to avoid cannibalism? By dissecting the mechanisms underlying predation and kin recognition, we aim to reveal how nervous systems evolve to generate behavioural novelty.
Host: Oliver Hobert
