Animal Behavior BI 304-ILC, 304L
Meeting Times and Locations
Lecture Mon, Wed, Fri 10:20-11:20 Spiro 28
Recitation Mon 1:20-2:20 Megerle 421
Lab Mon 2:30-4:30 Megerle 405
Instructor
Dr. Brian Palestis
Megerle Science Bldg 417
718-390-3237
bpalesti@wagner.edu
www.wagner.edu/faculty/bpalesti/
Office Hours: Tues 10-12, Wed 2-4
Course Description
This course is part of the Intermediate Learning Community entitled “Beastly Behaviors: Animals in Art and Biology”, and is linked with AR291-ILC Special Topics: Animals in Art. The biology course will examine the principles of animal behavior from several perspectives, such as classical ethology, behavioral ecology and sociobiology, comparative psychology, behavior genetics, behavioral endocrinology, and neuroethology. As this list indicates, the study of animal behavior integrates across several disciplines and levels of analysis. Students will have the opportunity to observe behavior through video clips, laboratory exercises, field trips, and independent research projects. The recitation portion of the course will include discussion of papers.
Learning goals addressed are: 1) Competency in scientific reasoning and quantitative analysis, which promotes critical thinking and constructive problem solving. 2) An appreciation of and access to different modes of inquiry that will lead to a continued search for truth, knowledge, and understanding. 3) Competency in “learning by doing”, where students learn to integrate ideas and field-based experiences and reflect their insights in writing and discussion. 4) Knowledge and skills in a chosen field of study, which provides both the proficiency and flexibility to achieve future goals. 5) Skills of listening, writing, and speech that enable effective communication and self-expression.
Textbook
Scott, G. 2005. Essential Animal Behavior. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
Another useful resource is www.animalbehavioronline.com , a free online text by Michael Breed that is still under construction.
There is no laboratory manual. Handouts will be distributed with information for labs.
Grading
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 25%
Laboratory exercises 20%
Research project 15%
Class participation 15%
Paper summaries 5%
Before class discussions each student must write a one to two paragraph summary of the assigned article. The summaries will not be graded formally, but will show me that the paper was read.
Attendance is required. You are expected to be an active participant in all class discussions and lab exercises (i.e. attendance alone is not sufficient).
Make-up exams will only be given with a doctor’s note or a letter from Academic Advisement.
Incompletes require completion of at least 70% of the work at a passing level.
This course adheres to the published policy on Academic Honesty. A violation of academic honesty (plagiarism, copying answers on tests, etc.) may result in a referral to the Academic Honesty Committee and a failing grade for the course.
For students in the ILC with art, the research project will be an ethogram including drawings. Non-LC students will instead perform an experimental or observational study and write up their results in standard scientific paper format (Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Literature Cited). Students may work in pairs for the research projects. Animals that could be studied include common urban animals, lab animals, zoo animals, pets, or even humans. All projects must be approved by me before you begin, and I will suggest ideas for possible topics. Time will be set aside in the second half of the semester for students to work on projects, but you are encouraged to work outside of lab hours and to begin early.
Course Schedule
Week 1 (1/22-26) Book Chapters/Pages Tinbergen’s Four Questions Chpt 1
Approaches & Methods Chpt 1
Week 2 (1/29-2/2)
Evolution of Behavior pp. 7-10
Fixed Action Patterns pp. 20-21
Discussion 1 “Instinctive” behavior
Lab 1 Friday 2/2 Methodology for field observations Staten Island Zoo
Week 3 (2/5-2/9)
Nervous System Chpt 2
The Senses Chpt 2, 5
Lab 2 Bones & behavior
Discussion 2 Behavior of laboratory rodents
Week 4 (2/12-2/16)
Communication Chpt 5
Hormones & Behavior pp. 42-47
Lab 3 Nervous system
Discussion 3 Chemical communication in humans
Week 5 (2/19-2/23)
No classes 2/19-20 (President’s Day)
Behavior Genetics pp. 57-64
Week 6 (2/26-3/2)
Development of Behavior pp. 64-68 Learning and Cognition pp. 68-75
Lab 4 The senses
Discussion 4 Neuroendocrinology of monogamy
Week 7 (3/5-3/9)
Biological Clocks pp. 47-56
Lab 5 Habituation & sensory adaptation (earthworms, humans)
Discussion 5 Behavior genetics of domestication
Midterm Exam Friday 3/9
Week 8 (3/12-3/16)
Orientation & Homing pp. 76-91
Habitat Selection & Dispersal pp. 138-139
Lab 6 Kineses and taxes (sowbugs, Planaria, Drosophila)
Discussion 6 Migration, brood parasitism & speciation
Week 9 (3/19-3/23)
Foraging Chpt 6
Antipredator Behavior Chpt 7
Lab 7 Schooling behavior & species recognition (tetras, zebra fish)
Discussion 7 Predation and antipredator behavior
Week 10 (3/26-3/30)
Agonistic Behavior & Territoriality pp. 101-102
Lab 8 Dominance hierarchies (crickets)
Discussion 8 Animal “personalities”
Spring Break
Week 11 (4/9-4/13)
No Class Easter Monday (4/9)
Sexual Reproduction
Parental Care Chpt 8
Week 12 (4/16-4/20)
Sexual Selection pp. 99-100, Chpt 8
Sex Ratios
Independent projects
Discussion 9 Evolutionary psychology
Week 13 (4/23-4/27)
Mating Systems pp. 178-196
Group Living pp. 123-128, 151-159 Independent projects
Discussion 10 Cryptic female choice
Week 14 (4/30-5/2)
Last day of classes, Wednesday 5/2 (Monday schedule)
Altruism & Cooperation pp. 64-65 (Box), 194-195
Review
Independent projects
Discussion 11 Collective behavior
Independent projects due Friday May 4
Final exam Wednesday May 9
Discussion Papers
1. Breland & Breland (1961) The misbehavior of organisms
2. Yeoman (2003) Can we trust research done with lab mice?
3. Wright (2003) Physical chemistry
4. Insel & Carter (1995) The monogamous brain
5. Trut (1999) Early canid domestication: the farm-fox experiment
6. Bearhop (2006) Change in the air (+ inset by Payne & Sorenson)
7. Martin & Martin (2006) Sociable killers
8. Siebert (2006) The animal self
9. Pinker (1997) Against nature
10. Birkhead (2000) Hidden choices of females
11. Klarreich (2006) The mind of the swarm
