Download INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL BEHAVIOR, BIOLOGY 250, SPRING

INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL BEHAVIOR, BIOLOGY 250, SPRING 2015
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Cheryl Asa, Director of Research, Reproductive and Behavior Sciences,
Saint Louis Zoo; Office phone: 314-646-4523; [email protected]
Jan. 20: Ch. 1, An Introduction to Animal Behavior
Ch. 2, Behavioral Ecology and Evolution of Altruism
Jan. 27: Ch. 3, The Evolution of Social Behavior
Ch. 4, The Evolution of Communication
Feb. 3: Ch. 5, Avoiding Predators and Finding Food
Feb. 10: Ch. 6, The Evolution of Habitat Selection, Territoriality, and Migration
Feb. 17: EXAM I
Feb. 24: Ch. 7, The Evolution of Reproductive Behavior
Mar. 2: Ch. 8, The Evolution of Mating Systems
Mar. 9: Ch. 9, The Evolution of Parental Care
Mar. 16: SPRING BREAK
Mar. 23: Ch 10, Proximate and Ultimate Causes of Behavior
Mar. 30: EXAM II
Apr. 6: Ch. 11, The Development of Behavior
Apr. 13: Ch. 12, Evolution, Nervous Systems, and Behavior
Apr. 20: Ch. 13, How Neurons and Hormones Organize Behavior
Apr. 27: Ch. 14, The Evolution of Human Behavior
May 4: FINAL EXAM
BIOLOGY 250: INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
COURSE CONTENT
This course introduces concepts that help explain mechanisms and functions, that is, the how and
why, of basic behaviors in species ranging from social insects to mammals, including humans.
Presented in the context of evolution, students explore behavioral adaptations for survival, the
importance of communication, mating strategies, and factors that affect sociality and conflict.
Lectures provide a theoretical framework and summarize diverse behavioral patterns and
responses across the animal kingdom, supplemented by video for illustration. Class discussions
integrate material from the text and other readings with students’ own experiences.
CLASS OBJECTIVES
1) Describe the process of natural selection as it pertains to behavior.
2) Evaluate behaviors in terms of proximate and ultimate causes.
3) Describe proximate causes or mechanisms, including involvement of genetics, development
and physiology, of observed behaviors.
4) Evaluate hypotheses concerning behavioral adaptations.
5) Describe various methods of communication and their roles in social behavior.
6) Describe the use of space by animals, especially considering the energetic costs involved
versus the benefits.
7) Describe food acquisition strategies and evaluate the theory of optimal foraging.
8) Describe the defense systems employed by prey species, how they operate and how they
might have evolved.
9) Compare and contrast the various mating strategies, especially in terms of sperm
competition, parental investment, and ecological influences.
10) Describe parental behavior and the relative roles of males and females in different species
11) Describe the costs and benefits of social behavior, the basis of altruism, and indirect versus
direct selection
TEXT AND COURSE MATERIALS
Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach, 10th edition, by John Alcock. Lectures will
follow the text and be accompanied by hand-outs of PowerPoint presentations. There will be
occasional additional hand-outs of supplementary information, typically of newly published
studies relating to lecture topics.
EXAMS AND GRADING: There will be 3 exams, each worth a third of the final grade. Exams
will be primarily short answer and short essay format and will cover assigned material in the
textbook, in any handouts, and the lectures. Participation in class discussions will also be
considered when assigning the Final Grade for the course.
Make-up exams: If you need to be absent from class on an exam day, you must take the
exam BEFORE the scheduled date. If you miss an exam for health reasons, a doctor’s written
verification of the illness is required before a make-up exam will be scheduled.
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment before or after class, or in my office in the Endangered
Species Research Center and Veterinary Hospital at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Office phone: 314-646-4523; e-mail: [email protected]