BY 305 - Animal Behavior

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Animal behavior is the study of how and why animals behave as they do in their environment. Behavior is an evolved solution to fitness-related problems, and in this course we will explore the science of animal behavior as understood using current evolutionary and ecological theory. We will sample a range of modern studies of animal behavior to illustrate the topics of interest. The emphasis will be on ultimate explanations for behavior and on developing theory to predict behavioral strategies. The question that we will ask repeatedly is, “How does a particular behavior contribute ultimately to the survival and reproductive success of the individual and the individual’s genes?” A shorthand for this question is “What is the adaptive significance of the behavior?” The kinds of behavior that we will consider include aggression, cooperation, altruism, mate choice and parental care, among others, and we will examine these behaviors in numerous animal groups, including insects, fishes, birds, and primates, to mention a few. Prerequisite(s): BY 111 & BY 112 - or BY 105