BIONB 4350 - [Mechanisms of Animal Behavior]

Spring. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: BIONB 2210. Next offered 2014-2015. (Offered alternate years) Enrollment limited to: 30 students.

T. D. Seeley.

Examination of the mechanisms underlying the adaptive behaviors of animals as revealed by whole-organism studies. After reviewing the sensory abilities of animals, we will look at how they find their way, communicate, learn and think, find food, choose mates, build nests, and live in societies.

Outcome 1: Appreciate the diversity of the sensory worlds of animals, and the concept of Umwelt.

Outcome 2: Understand the basic mechanisms of sensory perception for each of the major sensory modalities.

Outcome 3: Understand how the behavior of animals is hormonally modulated according to their age, social status, season, and other variables.

Outcome 4: Understand how animals find their way (orient) as they move about.

Outcome 5: Understand how animals communicate.

Outcome 6: Understand the cognitive abilities of animals.

Outcome 7: Understand the interplay between instinct and learning in shaping animal behavior.

Outcome 8: Become able to read scientific papers critically, to identify what one can really conclude from a paper.

Outcome 9: Become able to design a rigorous study of a mechanism of animal behavior.