Lecture Schedule for Animal Behavior, Spring 2012

Ken Clifton; 768-7508; clifton@lclark.edu; (Office Hrs: Tue & Th, 10 - 11 AM or by appt)

Class meetings: Howard 122, T/TH from 8:00 - 9:30
Texts: Introduction to Behavioural Ecology (4th edition) by Krebs, Davies, & West (IBE), The Selfish Gene by Dawkins (SG); Principles of Animal Behavior by Dugatkin (PAB)
 
Date

 

Topic
Readings (Ch)
Week 1
Jan. 17
1)

Course overview (structure, expectations and goals) and an introduction to the study of animal behavior

SG: 1-3
Jan. 19
2)

Genes and behavior

SG: 4-5
 
 
   
Week 2
Jan. 24
3)

The environment and behavior

SG: 6-7

Jan. 26

4)

The interplay between genes and the environment: Neural networks and control systems

SG: 8-9; reserve reading PAB Ch 3 pp 74 - 105

 
 
   
Week 3
Jan. 31

Class discussion: Dawkins and the Selfish Gene Concept (graded)

SG: 10-13; reserve reading PAB Ch 4 pp 110-132
Feb. 2
5)

The ethology of animal communication I: Sensory modalities and the role of environmental vs. physiological constraints

reserve reading: PAB Ch 12 pp 412 - 433

 

 

 

 

Week 4
Feb. 7
6)

The ethology of animal communication II: Signal design and honest vs. deceitful information

Reading 1

Feb. 9

Group discussion: The expression of honest vs. deceitful signals by animals

Papers 1 & 2

 

 

 

 

Week 5
Feb. 14

7)

A novel look at genes, selection, and behavior: Dogs Decoded (DVD) and class discussion

IBE 1 & 2

Feb. 16

 

First Midterm (covering lectures 1 - 7, discussions, and readings)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6
Feb. 21
8)

An introduction to behavioral ecology and the economics of "decision making" Submit general proposal idea electronically

IBE 3 & 4
Feb. 23
9)

Quantitative modeling I: Optimality

 

 

 

Week 7
Feb.28

10)

Quantitative modeling II: Game Theory

IBE 5

Mar. 1
11)

The behavioral determinants of animal dispersion animal movements and group formation

IBE 6

 
   
Week 8

Mar. 6

 

The behavioral determinants of group size and territoriality

 

Mar. 8

12)

Papers 3 & 4

 

 

 

 

Week 9
Mar. 13
13)

Selfish genes and the evolution of sex, anisogamy, life history, and conflicts of interest.

IBE 7 & 10

Mar. 15

Group discussion: Handicaps and female choice

Papers 5 & 6
         
Week 10
Mar. 20

14)

IBE 8
Mar. 22

15)

 IBE 9

 

 

 

 

Week 11
 
NO CLASSES: SPRING BREAK
 

 

 

 

 

Week 12
Apr. 3

Group discussion: Mating systems, paternity, and parental care

Papers 7 & 8
Apr. 5

Second Midterm (covering lectures 8 - 15, plus discussions and readings)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 13
Apr. 10
16)

The evolution of cooperative behaviors: phenotypic vs genetic altruism

IBE 11
Apr. 12
17)

More on cooperation: kin selection and reciprocity and the evolution of eusociality

IBE 12 & 13

 

 

 

 

Week 14
Apr. 17

18)

Different by Design... an introduction to human behavioral ecology

view DVD in class
Apr. 19

19)

 

 

 

Week 15
Apr. 24

 

Group discussion: Human Sociobiology

Papers 9 & 10

Apr. 26

20)

Course summation: what to do with what you've learned - Proposal due by 5 PM

IBE 15

         
Finals Week
Apr. 30
 
Study session at 1 PM in Yellow Lab - bring your questions!
 
May 1
Final Exam, Tuesday from 6-9 PM

 

Printing lecture outlines as either double sided or 2-up is easy in either the library or computer labs: Click to find out how

Note: This course is a work in progress and scheduling may change during the semester: Last updated 4/19/12

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