Sympotein I - From Descartes to Benzer: the evolution of ideas on animal behaviour

The first mini symposium ‘From Descartes to Benzer: the evolution of ideas on animal behaviour’ will examine the beginnings of etiology with the ideas of Konrad Lorenz, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Karl von Frisch and BF Skinner.

What shapes animal behavior? Is it innate or learned? What do the concepts of imprinting, innate release mechanisms and operant conditioning tell us about the nature-nurture debate? And what influence have they had on the very divergent frontiers of this rather broad field?