Syllabus
Animal Behavior, Fall 2009
EPOB 3240
Michael Breed, Office: Ramaley N333, Porter Biosciences B116, Telephone:
2-7687
Email: michael.breed@colorado.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 1:00-2:00, Tuesdays 10:00-11:00, Thursdays 10:00-11:00
Class: TR 12:30PM-1:45PM Room ATLS 100
Labs: Ramaley C209
Text: Alcock, J. Animal Behavior 9th Ed.
The same book is available from coursesmart as an ebook at: http://www.coursesmart.com/9780878932252
Lab Manual: Tillberg, Breed and Hinners, Field and Laboratory Exercises in
Animal Behavior
Available on Kindle or as ebook from Sony ebooks at:
http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/michael-d-breed/field-and-laboratory-exercises-in-animal-behavior/_/R-400000000000000167188
Web text: www.animalbehavioronline.com
Syllabus and other course related postings:
http://spot.colorado.edu/~breed/animbehav.html
or
http://www.colorado.edu/eeb/courses/3240mbreed/
Teaching Assistants (email the is best way to contact your TA):
Carolina Quintero
Labs: Tuesdays, 9 and 2
Office hours: Mondays 2-4 pm
Office: C209
email: Carolina.quintero@colorado.edu
Sarah Wagner
Labs: Wednesdays, 9 and 2
Office hours: 11-1 on Mondays
Office: C209
email: Sarah.K.Wagner@Colorado.EDU
Joanna Hubbard
Labs: Thursdays, 9 and 2
Office: N395
Office hours: Tuesdays from 2-4.
email: Joanna.hubbard@colorado.edu
Undergraduate TAs:
Erika Lenz (Tuesday afternoon lab), Mehgan Heaney-Grier (Tuesday morning
lab), Nate Kleist (Thursday afternoon lab), Christine Pugh (Wednesday afternoon
lab)
|
Date |
Topic |
Reading in Alcock and online text |
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08-25-08 |
Chapter 1 in Alcock |
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08-27-08 |
Chapters 5 and 6 in Alcock, which provide important background information |
|
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09-1-08 |
Chapter 9 in Alcock |
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09-8-08 |
Behavioral genetics, how are animals constrained by their genes? |
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09-10-08 |
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09-15-08 |
||
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09-17-08 |
Chapter 2 in Alcock |
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09-22-08 |
Chapter 4, pages 131-146, and Chapter 8, pages 249-273, in Alcock |
|
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09-24-08 |
Navigation 2 |
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09-29-08 |
Foraging |
Chapter 7 in Alcock |
|
10-01-08 |
Foraging 2 |
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10-06-08 |
Foraging wrap-up and review for exam |
|
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10-08-08 |
Exam I (covers material through October 1) |
|
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10-13-08 |
Self-defense |
Chapter 6 in Alcock |
|
10-15-08 |
Territoriality |
Chapter 8, pages 274-283 in Alcock |
|
10-20-08 |
Male and female: the biology of gender differences |
Chapter 5, pages 160-174, and Chapter 10 in Alcock |
|
10-22-08 |
Mating systems |
Chapter 11 in Alcock |
|
10-27-08 |
Mating systems 2 |
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10-29-08 |
Mating systems 3 |
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11-03-08 |
Parental behavior |
Chapter 12 in Alcock |
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11-05-08 |
The ugly side of animal behavior: infanticide and siblicide |
|
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11-10-08 |
Kin recognition |
|
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11-12-08 |
Kin selection and the evolution of cooperation |
Chapter 13 in Alcock |
|
11-17-08 |
Cooperation 2 |
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11-19-08 |
Cooperation 3 |
|
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11-24-08 |
Fall Break --no class |
|
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11-26-08 |
Thanksgiving--no class |
|
|
12-01-08 |
Cooperation 4 The social insects |
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12-3-08 |
Cognition |
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12-8-09 |
Cognition 2 |
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12-10-09 |
Review and summary |
|
Final Exam:
Wednesday, December 16th, 1:30pm to 4:00pm
University legal syllabus Information about course and
University policies concerning sexual harassment, students with disabilities,
religious observances, classroom behavior, and the honor code.
Lab Schedule
All labs meet in Ramaley C209
Week of:
September 1 Pollination. Lab Manual Chapter 4
September 8 Foraging: Introduction to semester papers or projects. Lab Manual
Chapters 1 and 5
September 15 Navigation. Project or paper topic due Lab Manual Chapter 6
September 22 Sensory physiology Lab Manual Chapter 16
September 29 Vigilance. Project plan or paper outline due Lab Manual Chapter 8
October 6 Pheromones. Lab Manual Chapter 11
October 13 Habitat preferences. Paper or project bibliography due Lab Manual Chapter 10
October 20 Bettas I Learning Lab Manual Chapters 12 and 13
October 27 Bettas II. Fighting in fish Lab Manual Chapters 12 and 13
November 3 Bettas III. Mate choice in bettas Lab
Manual Chapters 12 and 13
November 10 Remote sensing and analysis of territories and home ranges
(tentative) Optional draft review for Betta papers and term papers
November 17Game theory Betta lab write-up due in lab this week
Lab Manual Chapter 9
November 24 No Labs--Thanksgiving Break
December 1 Semester projects: Oral reports, semester papers due
Lab Manual Chapter 2
December 8 No labs
Course Grade Calculations:
Exam I: 30%
In-class five minute essays: 10%
Final: 30%
Lab: 30%
Lab grading:
Participation: 10%
Betta paper: 15%
Semester Paper or Project: 75%
Laboratory grading policies:
Laboratory attendance is required. You may miss one lab without penalty. Each
subsequent missed lab will result in a 10% (one letter grade) penalty on your
semester laboratory grade.
Students may choose to either write a term paper based on library research or
to do an independent investigation for their semester project.
Please pay attention to the deadlines for project and paper topics, plans or
outlines, and turning in the final version. The penalty for a missed (either
turning in the work late or not at all) paper or project deadline is 10% (one letter
grade) of the paper or project grade.