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Reconciling genetic evolution and the associative learning account of mirror neurons through data-acquisition mechanisms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2014

Arnon Lotem  and
Oren Kolodny
Arnon Lotem
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel. lotem@post.tau.ac.ilorenkolodny@gmail.comhttp://www.tau.ac.il/~lotem
Oren Kolodny
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel. lotem@post.tau.ac.ilorenkolodny@gmail.comhttp://www.tau.ac.il/~lotem
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Abstract

An associative learning account of mirror neurons should not preclude genetic evolution of its underlying mechanisms. On the contrary, an associative learning framework for cognitive development should seek heritable variation in the learning rules and in the data-acquisition mechanisms that construct associative networks, demonstrating how small genetic modifications of associative elements can give rise to the evolution of complex cognition.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , April 2014 , pp. 210 - 211
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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