Behavioral Ecology

Hours

3.0 Credit, 3 Lecture, 0 Lab

Students in Behavioral Ecology will study the biological mechanisms and evolutionary causes and consequences of a range of animal behaviors. The course will be geared towards helping students to gain a broad perspective of the range of factors that influence animal behavior and to provide students with the tools conduct, evaluate, and understand research on the ecology of animal behavior. We will cover a broad range of topics that are central to the field of behavioral ecology, including the economics of behavioral decisions, predator-prey arms races, resource competition, group living, reproductive selection and conflict, parental care, mating systems, social behaviors, cooperation and altruism, and communication. Each of these topics will be examined from an evolutionary and ecological perspective, with a focus on helping students first to understand the underlying theory and concepts, and second to grasp the research techniques and approaches used to increase knowledge in this field.

Scientific Literacy

Students will be able to read primary scientific literature addressing animal behavior, interpret data presented therein, and synthesize an argument about the evolution of animal behavior

Hypotheses About Animal Behavior

Form hypotheses regarding the causes and consequences of organismal behavior

Data Collection

Collect the appropriate data required to test hypotheses about the causes and consequences of behavior.

Data Analysis

Critically analyze data to test hypotheses about the causes and consequences of behavior

Writing

Write journal-style reports detailing scientific findings

Scientific Communication

Present scientific findings orally to a group of peers