BIONB 4260 - [Animal Communication]

(BIO-AS, PBS-AS)

Spring. Not offered: 2022-2023. Next offered: 2023-2024. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: BIONB 2210. Offered in even-numbered years only.

M.S. Webster.

Communication is the “glue” that holds societies together. This course examines how and why animals communicate. Topics include the role of the environment in shaping animal signals, whether animals tell the truth to each other, why some bird songs are simple and others complex, and what kinds of signals might be exchanged between species.

Outcome 1: Demonstrate mastery of the core principles of animal communication.

Outcome 2: Discuss and explain methodological approaches to studying communication.

Outcome 3: Describe the mechanistic bases of communication systems, and the function and evolution of animal signals.

Outcome 4: Formulate hypotheses, predictions and tests in order to investigate active research questions in the field of animal communication.

Outcome 5: Apply bioacoustic methods to analyze one key modality of communication, acoustic signals.