| Unit name | Behavioural Ecology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20104 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2D (weeks 19 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Cuthill |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. We recommend that students also study BIOL20001 Quantitative Methods in Biology or a course that the Unit Director deems to have provided comparable training in statistics. (To confirm the latter, please contact the Unit Director before choosing the unit.) |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Aims:
Behavioural Ecology is all about why do animals do what they do, and how behaviour is adapted to ecological circumstances. This unit emphasises functional and evolutionary explanations of behaviour, rather than the investigation of mechanisms and development of behaviour covered in BIOL 20103 Acquisition of Behaviour. A complete understanding of behaviour involves both approaches, so we view this unit as complementary to BIOL 20103. Topics include: Foraging and resource acquisition, optimality theory, trade-offs and the organisation of behaviour, evolutionary games, sexual selection, mating systems, parental care, communication, territoriality and social organisation, co-operation and altruism. The practical part of the unit does not merely serve to illustrate material in the lectures, it covers additional topics best explained by hands-on experience.
After doing the Unit, we expect you to (1) appreciate the distinction between the different levels of analysing behaviour ("Tinbergen's four questions"), (2) be able to explain the basic principles behind the main theoretical models in behavioural ecology, namely optimality theory, game theory, sexual selection and kin selection, (3) be able to relate these models to the various types of behaviour they have been used to explain (N.B. the same models are applied to more than one lecture topic), (4) be able to devise simple ways of generating and testing hypotheses about the function of animal behaviour, and the limitations of different approaches.
Self-directed learning week. Students are expected to spend this time on directed reading, the content of which is relevant to the end of session exams.
Attendance at practicals and completion of specified practical reports is mandatory.
Laboratory practical reports (40%). End of Session exam (60%).
Either:
Davies, N.B., Krebs, J.R. & West, S.A. 2012. An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology. 4th edn. Blackwell Scientific.
Or:
Alcock, J. 2013. Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach. 10th edn. Sinauer. Older editions of both books editions are OK.
