Sinceitsformulationinthe1930s–1950s,animalbehaviorremainsoneofthemostavailableandpivotalsciences.Animalbehavioristhefirstsciencethatmostpeoplepursueaschildren(thinkofatoddlerthatmimicsaforagingsquirrel)andthelastscienceanelderlypersonpractices(consideragrandmotherdescribinghowbirdsinteractatherfeeder).Animalbehaviorisalsooneofthemostpivotalbranchesofallsciences.Animalbehavioris“the”integrativesciencewhoseresearchregularlysplashesacrossthepagesofScience,Nature,andotherprimerjournals.Inaddition,animalbehaviordiscoveriesareregularlyfeaturedthenewsreportsofthepopularmedia.YouwillbeintroducedtothescientificfieldofAnimalBehavior(i.e.Ethology)inthisclass.Studentswillexplorethemechanismsandadaptivesignificanceofbehaviorinawidediversityofspecies,includingwild,domestic,andcompanionanimals.IntheirstudyofAnimalBehavior,studentswillexplorebasicbiologicalprinciples(e.g.homology,naturalselection,andevolution)andbasicscientificprinciples(e.g.scientificmethod,phylogeneticanalysis,andstatistics).Theintegrativelaboratoryexperiencewillemphasizedescriptionandthedesignofexperiments.Topicsincludedescribing,measuring,andmodelingbehavior;designingexperiments;understandingthesensoryworldofotherspecies;aswellasfieldandlaboratoryresearch.Studentswillconductindependentresearchprojectsandpresenttheirresearchinanoralsession.
Instructor: Dr.Charles(billY)GunnelsWH113Email:[email protected]:590‐7210OfficeHours:T&Th:afterclass–12orbyappointment.
Credits:3Prerequisites:Biology1010&1011arerequired.ClassTime:T&Th8–10:15am.
Youareexpectedtoattendalllecturesandlabs.Mostlabsarescheduledfortheregularclassperiodbutsomemightoccuratothertimes.Youmaynotturninlaboratoryassignments(e.g.labreports)ifyouareabsentorlatetoclassinvolvingdatacollection.Thereisavoluntaryfieldtrip“ScienceinaDay”onSaturday.
RequiredTextsandReading:
ShermanPW&AlcockJ(2005)“ExploringAnimalBehavior:ReadingsfromAmericanScientist”4thedition,SinauerAssociatesInc.Sunderland,MA.
AdditionalrequiredreadingswillbeavailableonAngel.Readingsmustbereadpriortothatclassperiod.Itisimportantthatyoureadtheassignedmaterialaswellasthetextverycarefullybeforeeachlaborlecture.Lecturesandlabsassumethatyouhavedoneallthereadingforthatweek,sopleasekeepupwiththeweeklyreadingassignments.Ascheduleofthereadingisgivenonthesyllabus.
AdditionalSources(thesearegreatsourcesintroducingyoutoanimalbehavior)
DawkinsR(1976)“TheSelfishGene”OxfordUniversityPress,OxfordUK.Develops/introducesmanyideasinevolutionaryanimalbehavior
Dugatkin(2009)“PrinciplesofAnimalBehavior”2ndedition,W.W.Norton&CompanyInc.,NewYork,NY.Goodtextbookwithwell‐developedintroductorytheory
AlcockJ(2005)“AnimalBehavior”8thedition,SinauerAssociatesInc.Sunderland,MA.Thisisthestandardbywhichallotheranimalbehaviortextbooksarecompared.Pleasantread.
HouchkLD&Drickamer(1996)“FoundationsofAnimalBehavior:ClassicPaperswithCommentaries”TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Chicago,IL.Seminalresearchpapersinthefield.
Krebs&Davies(1978,1984,1991,&1997)“BehavioralEcology:AnEvolutionaryApproach”BlackwellScience,Malden,MABrilliant.Eacheditioncapturesthestateofthefieldatthetimeofpublication.
Freeware&Cheapware
j‐Watcher(http://www.jwatcher.ucla.edu/)‐freeQuantifyvideodata
Analyze‐it(http://www.analyze‐it.com/products/student/default.aspx_)‐$30Statisticaladd‐ontoExcel
Notebooks:Youwillbeexpectedtokeeptwonotebooks:anotebookthatisusedfordatacollectionandfieldnotesandaseparate
notebookthatisusedfortakingnotestakenfromclassandlab.Iwillcollectyourfieldnotebookthroughoutthesemester.Angel:ImportantmaterialisprovidedonAngel.PleaseconsultAngelforup‐to‐dateinformation,deadlinesandadditional
informationforlectures.EmailsshouldbesentviaAngel.Evaluation:Yourgradeinthecourseisbasedontwoequalparts:laboratoryandlecture.
(1)Lecture(50%).Yourlecturegradeisbasedonquizzesandclassparticipation(25%;5%participation&20%Quizzes)andthreeexams(25%each).Seeschedulefordatesandtimes.
(2)Laboratory(50%).Yourlabgradeisbasedonparticipation(10%)andwrittenworkthatyousubmit(30%).Alllabsrequiresomewrittenwork,suchasaworksheet,asetofdescriptions,asetofgraphs,tableofdataorexperimentaldesign.
Thelaboratorywillculminateinthisfinalresearchprojectgiveninanoralpresentationdescribingyourresearch(60%).Youwillbeabletoworkingroupsof1–3onthefinalresearchproject.
(3)BONUS(+10%).OnSaturday24Oct2009youwillhavethechancetoparticipatein“ScienceinaDay”.1lettergradewillbedeductedforeachdaythatanassignmentislate.
PleaseNote:Thelecturesandmaterialsprovidedforthiscoursearethepropertyoftheinstructorsandmaynotbeusedforanycommercialpurposes.Lecturesmaynotbetapedwithoutpriorpermission.
Honesty:Itisexpectedthatyouwillshowethicalbehaviorconcerningyourworkinthisclass.Studentsareexpectedtodotheir
ownwork,usetheirownwordsonpapersandreferencealloutsidesources.Failuretoupholdthestandardsofacademichonestywillresultintheappropriatedisciplinaryaction.
DisabilityStatement:FloridaGulfCoastUniversity,inaccordancewiththeAmericanswithDisabilitiesActandtheuniversity’s
guidingprinciples,willprovideclassroomandacademicaccommodationstostudentswithdocumenteddisabilities.Ifyouneedtorequestanaccommodationinthisclassduetoadisability,oryoususpectthatyouracademicperformancesisaffectedbyadisability,pleaseseemeorcontacttheOfficeofAdaptiveServices.TheOfficeofAdaptiveServicesislocatedinHowardHall,room137.Thephonenumberis590‐7956orTTY590‐7930.
LettersofRecommendation:Studentsseekingaletterofrecommendationshouldprovideasignedletterwaivingtheirrightsto
keeptheiracademicrecordinthisclassprivate.Thiswaiverallowsfacultymemberstodiscussyourrecord,grades,workethic,andintellectualability.Wearenotabletocommentonthesematterswithoutthewaiver.
TentativeSchedule:Allaspectsoftheschedulemaybemodified.Youwillbeinformedofanychanges.Forexample,labsmaybe
changedatthelastminutebecauseofanimaltrainingaswellasadditionalreadingswillbeaddedasneeded.Week Dates Topic Tuesday Thursday LabSkills FocalAnimal LabLocation Readings1 OutsideAssignment2
125&27Aug
IntroductiontoBehavior
Behavior,ActionPatterns,
TalkingaboutBehavior&UsingMetaphorLab
DescribeBehavior Toys InClass SR‐Galef1996 ActionPattern
21&3Sept
Proximate&Ultimate
IntegrativeBiology(the4Question)&BehavioralEvolution
Ethogram DescribeBehavior VariableBowditchPointPark$1/hourparking
EAB‐Holekamp&Sherman53‐60 BuildEthogram3
38&10Sept
Genetics KineticDiagrams BehavioralGenetics ObservationalData BrownAnole FGCUSR–Robinson2002
EAB–Robinson61‐67ConstructKinetic
Diagram4
415&17Sept
Development BehavioralGeneticsNaturevs.Nurture
&LearningExperimentalDesign FruitFly FGCULab
SR–Marler&Tamura1964SR‐Hoppittetal2008
EvaluateFruitFlyData
522&24Sept
Mechanisms Honeybeelearning SensorySystems ExperimentalDesign Honeybee TBASR–vonFrish1956EAB–May137–150
SR–Corcoranetal.2009EvaluateForagingData
629Sept&1Oct
Mechanisms Exam1 HumanMagnetism CircularStatistics Us ? SR‐Baker1980&1987EvaluateYourSensory
Data
76&8Oct
Mechanisms NeuroethologyBehavioral
Endocrinology
EAB–Wingfieldetal.102–108EAB–Vanderbergh109–116
EAB–Bass125–136
813&15Oct
ComparativeBehavioral
PhylogeneticsOptimalForagingLab ExperimentalDesign TBA FGCUCampus EAB–Star164‐174
EvaluateOptimalityData
920&22Oct
Adaptive ForagingHabitatSelection&
Territoriality
SR–Perry&Pianka1997SR–Davis&Stamps2004
“ScienceinaDay”5Oct24
1027&29Oct
Research IndependentResearch Exam2 IndependentResearch
113&5Nov
Sex&Parents SexualSelection ParentalCare EAB–Borgia175–180
EAB‐Thornhill&Gwynne204–211SR‐Kunz&Hosken2009
IndependentResearch
6Nov LastDaytoDropcourse12
10&12Nov
SocialBehavior Altruism Domestication EAB–Heinrich&Marzluff274–281
EAB–Honeycutt293‐303EAB–Trut181‐190
IndependentResearch
1317&19Nov
SocialBehavior IndependentResearch Sociobiology EAB–Sherman&Flaxman191–199
EAB–Buss248‐259IndependentResearch
1424&26Nov
HolidayNoClass
ThanksgivingNoClass
Thanksgiving IndependentResearch
151&3Dec
Research Exam3Research
Presentations
16 7Dec ResearchResearch
Presentations
1EAB=ExploringAnimalBehavior;SR=SupplementaryReadingonAngel.Readinglististentative.2Assignmentswillbedueatthebeginningofclass.3Describeandillustrate3actionpatternsofananimalofyourchoice.4Createkineticdiagramscomparingfemalesandmales5BonusActivityonaSaturday24Oct2009(8–6pm);siteTBA