Animal Behavior BIO 432Spring 2014

Dr. T. Caraco

Office: Biology 253

Hours: 12 - 2 PM, Thursday

www.albany.edu/faculty/caraco/bio432

Lectures, Assignments, Grades

Introduce BIO 432

Objectives

Prerequisites

Responsibilities

Grade Determination

Webpage: No Required Text

Course Objectives

Behavioral Adaptation:

Functional Significance

Evolution of Behavioral Phenotype

Address and Interpret Original

Literature in Behavioral Ecology

NOT Study of Behavioral Mechanisms:

Neural Basis of Behavior, Physiology

Course Objectives

Evolution of Behavior:

Predict Adaptation to Ecology

Evolutionary Ecology of Behavior :

Theory for Behavioral Diversity

Understanding over Description

Quantitative Abstraction

Prerequisites

Calculus: MAT 106 or Better, or PHY 140

Optimization, Game Theory

³ 12 Credit Hours in Biology

Senior-level Course

Writing

Responsibilities

Lecture: On Time, Avoid Disruption

Papers: On Time

Plagiarism: U/G Bulletin (see webpage)

Avoid “cut, paste, reword”

Grades

Five (5) Quizzes: Lecture Topics & Problem Sets

Be prepared! Each 10% Course Grade

Two Papers: Reading List for Each PaperEach 25% Course Grade

Quizzes

Math Problems/Models: Quantification

Practice Problems: Webpage

Maximize/Minimize Continuous FunctionSolve Matrix Game for Nash Equilibria

Papers

1. Integrate Learning:

Lecture, Original Literature

2. Prepare as Research Proposal:

Cite Ideas, Results

Develop New Concept,

Report Experimental Tests

3. Length: 10 -12 Pages,

Double Space, References

Papers

Papers on Reading Lists:

Associate with Lecture Topics

Webpage

Behavioral Ecology: Context

How Do Life Sciences Study Behavior?

Introduce Approach, This Course

Adaptation Under Constraint,

Natural Selection

N. Tinbergen’s Four Questions

1. Functional Significance?Ultimate Causation?

Contribution to Survival, Reproduction?

Contribution to Fitness?

Emphasis, Basis of Predictive Science

Why Behavior A; Not B? Adapted?

N. Tinbergen: 4 Questions

2. Proximate Causation?

Mechanisms? How?

Environmental Stimuli, Response,

Neuro-hormonal Control

Neurobiology, Physiology, Psychology

Source of Constraints, Low Priority

N. Tinbergen: 4 Questions

3. Development of Behavior?

Genetic Basis (Often Unknown)

Phenotypic Plasticity

Individual Learning, Cultural Dynamics

Behavioral Ecology, Psychology

N. Tinbergen: 4 Questions

4. Phylogeny? Evolutionary History?

Interspecies Comparisons

Evolutionary Homology

Systematics, Molecular Evolution

Functional Significance

Economic Models to Predict Behavior

Individual vs Environment: Optimization,

Includes Effects on Kin

Competing, Cooperating Individuals:

Game Theory (ESS)

Behavioral Ecology

Theory

Risk-sensitive Foraging

Ecology of Social Organization

Cultural Transmission