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Class
meetings: Howard 203, T/TH from 8:00 - 9:30 |
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Texts: Introduction to Behavioural Ecology (4th edition) by Krebs, Davies,
& West (IBE), The Selfish Gene by Dawkins (SG). On reserve in Watzek: Principles of Animal Behavior by Dugatkin (PAB) |
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Week
1 |
No class meeting due to weather | |||
Jan. 19 |
1) |
Course overview (structure, expectations and goals) and an introduction to the study of animal behavior |
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Week
2 |
2) |
SG: 1-4, IBE
1; reserve reading PAB Ch 3 pp 74-87 |
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Jan. 26 |
3) |
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Week
3 |
4) |
The interplay between genes and the environment: Neural networks and control systems |
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Class discussion: Dawkins and the Selfish Gene Concept (graded) |
SG: 10-13; |
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Week
4 |
5) |
The ethology of animal communication I: Sensory modalities and the role of environmental vs. physiological constraints | IBE: 14 |
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6) |
The ethology of animal communication II: Signal design and honest vs. deceitful information |
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Week
5 |
7) |
Group discussion: The expression of honest vs. deceitful signals by animals (graded) | ||
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First Midterm (covering lectures 1 - 7, discussions, and readings) |
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Week
6 |
8) |
An introduction to behavioral ecology and the economics of "decision making" |
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9) |
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Week
7 |
10) |
IBE 5 |
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11) |
The behavioral determinants of animal dispersion animal movements and group formation |
IBE 6 |
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Week
8 |
Mar. 7 |
12) |
The behavioral determinants of group size and territoriality |
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Week
9 |
13) |
Selfish genes and the evolution of sex, anisogamy, life history, and conflicts of interest. |
IBE 7 & 10 |
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Week
10 |
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Review session for midterm and some example of sexual selection Submit general proposal idea electronically | ||
| Mar. 23 | Second
Midterm (covering lectures 8 - 13, plus discussions and
readings) |
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Week
11 |
NO CLASSES: SPRING BREAK | |||
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Week
12 |
14) |
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15) |
IBE 9 |
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Week
13 |
Group discussion: Mating systems, paternity, and parental care (graded) |
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16) |
The evolution of cooperative behaviors: phenotypic vs genetic altruism |
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Week
14 |
17) |
More on cooperation: kin selection and reciprocity and the evolution of eusociality |
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| Apr. 20 | 18) |
Human sociobiology | ||
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Week
15 |
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Group discussion: Human Sociobiology (graded) |
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Apr. 27 |
19) |
IBE 15 |
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Finals Week |
May 2 |
Study session
in Yellow Lab - Time TBA - bring your questions! |
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May
3 |
Final Exam, Wed from 6:00 - 9:00 PM |
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Note: This course is a work in progress and scheduling may change during the semester: Last updated 1/10/17 |
Back to the Course Moodle Page |