BIOL

This course provides an introduction to the biological study of animal behavior. Animal behavior has been of central importance and interest to humans for our entire history as a species due to our role as hunters, foragers, and highly social creatures. We will take an integrative approach to the question of “why do animals behave the way that they do?” Topics will include: foraging, movement, social behavior, communication, cooperation, and conflict. For each topic we will identify core principles that emerge from an evolutionary and ecologically informed viewpoint and we will integrate causation, development, function and evolution wherever possible. An understanding of animal behavior can be an important asset for a career in a variety of fields, including biology, health sciences, urban planning, conservation and wildlife management. But an understanding of animal behavior can also greatly enrich your experience in and familiarity with the natural world. Together with the lab and field component you will be introduced to observational and experimental approaches to the study of behavior.