Animal Behaviour
Code: 100835 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500251 Environmental Biology | OT | 4 | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Anna Soler Membrives
- Email:
- Anna.Soler@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
Prerequisites
It is important to have a good background in zoology and ecology
Objectives and Contextualisation
The main objective is to provide a general knowledge on animal behaviour from a mechanistic and evolutive point of view. The different visions of animal behavior will be presented, from mechanisms that explain a simple behaviour to the function and phylogeny of complex behavioral systems (also with a cognitive perspective). I will focus on the role of animal behavior as the motor and modulator of evolutionary processes and ecological solutions. Besides, I will expose how the ethological applications can be used in management, conservation of fauna and animal welfare.
Competences
- Adopt an ethical stance.
- Analyse and interpret the behaviour of living beings.
- Describe, analyse and interpret the vital adaptations and strategies of the principal groups of living beings.
- Develop a sensibility towards environmental issues.
- Develop planning and organisation skills.
- Identify and interpret the diversity of species in the environment.
- Obtain information, design experiments and interpret results.
- Recognise and analyse phylogenetic relations.
- Solve problems.
Learning Outcomes
- Adopt an ethical stance.
- Analyze quantitatively and interpret the evolutionary and functional meaning of animal behavior
- Develop a sensibility towards environmental issues.
- Develop planning and organisation skills.
- Interpret the distribution and the interactions of animal species in the environment and their impact on animal diversity.
- Interpret the evolutionary processes that have led to animal diversity.
- Obtain information, design experiments and interpret results.
- Recognise the characteristics of the environment that determine the distribution of the principal animal groups.
- Solve problems.
Content
- History of the study of Animal Behavior. Concept of behavior
- Methods and techniques to study the animal behavior.
- Mechanisms of behavior control.
- Animal Cognition
- Behavior development. Learning
- Life histories and optimization of behavior
- Phylogeny, function and current adaptive value of behavior
- Use of time and space. Feeding and species interaction
- Animal communication
- Social behavior
- Reproductive behavior (sexual and and parental care behavior)
- Applied animal behavior.
Unless the requirements enforced by the health authorities demand a prioritization or reduction of these contents. It is possible that the contents may undergo some changes due to the incorporation of new teacher staff.
Methodology
- Master classes with current topics related to animal behavior.
- Practical sessions are examples of actual individual solutions of some behavioral issues (measurements and analysis). At the end of the course, the student should know how to face critically any behavioral issue.
- Experiment is a critical component in training. It can be developped individually or in group (up to 3 students). It will consist of generating a question-based on hypotheses and predictions that will have to be answered by applying the scientific method. The student(s) must do a memory in a scientific article-format and must be defend it in the class. Exceptionally, it can carry on a literatured-based review of a topic.
- Final Exam and second-chance examination.
- There will be also comprehensive reading of texts (It goes to the final exam).
The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities. t is possible that the methodology may undergo some change due to the incorporation of new teacher staff.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Masterclass | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 6, 5, 7, 8 |
| Practical session | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 4, 7, 9 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Experiment | 20 | 0.8 | 2, 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 3 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Mandatory readings | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 5, 7 |
| Study | 71 | 2.84 | 1, 4, 6, 9, 3 |
Assessment
1) One test with questions to develop the theoretical knwoledge and several short multiple choice questions (4 points from 10).
2) Research experiment (value 5 points from 10).
3) Practical sessions (1 point from 10).
In order to pass (5/10 points), it is necessary to get a minimum of 2.5/10 points in the test and the experiment, regardless the mark got in the other sections.
Student’s assessment may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities. It is possible that the evaluation system may undergo some change due to the incorporation of new teacher staff.
It will be considered that a student will obtain the Non-Evaluable qualification if he/she carries out less than 2/3 of the evaluation activities.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experiment | 50% | 0 | 0 | 1, 4, 6, 5, 3 |
| Practical session | 10% | 0 | 0 | 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 |
| Test | 40% | 4 | 0.16 | 2, 4, 6, 5, 7, 9 |
Bibliography
Alcock, J. 2005 Animal behavior: an evolutionary approach. 8th ed. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, cop. 2005.
Asensio Herrero, N. (2014). Etología: la ciencia del comportamiento animal.
Cachel, S. (2006). Primate and human evolution (Vol. 46). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Carranza, J. (1994). Introducción a la Ciencia del Comportamiento. Cáceres: Universidad de Extremadura, Servicio de Publicaciones. (Recurso Web)
Carranza, J. F. (2016). Etología adaptativa: el comportamiento como producto de la selección natural. Universidad de Córdoba.
Davies, N. B., Krebs, J. R., & West, S. A. (2012). An introduction to behavioural ecology. John Wiley & Sons.
Fleagle, J. G. (2013). Primate adaptation and evolution. Academic Press.
Kraus, C. (2010). Animal behaviour: Evolution and mechanisms (pp. 655-684). P. M. Kappeler (Ed.). Springer.
Maestripieri, D. (Ed.). (2009). Primate psychology. Harvard University Press.
Manning, A., & Dawkins, M. S. (2012). An introduction to animal behaviour. Cambridge University Press.
Quesada, J. & Figuerola, J. 2010. Potencia de una prueba estadística: aplicación e interpretación en ecología del comportamiento. Etologuía. 22.19-36
Soler, M. (2011). Adaptive Behaviour: Understanding the Human Animal. (Recurso Web)
Strier, K. B. (2003). Primate behavioral ecology: from ethnography to ethology and back. American Anthropologist, 105(1), 16-27.
Virtual teaching has highlighted the importance of being able to have online resources. During these months, publishers have opened up a lot of content, and the digital book-proof platform is also available (50,000
accessible books - https://mirades.uab.cat/ebs/).
In this link, you will find an infographic prepared by the Library Service to facilitate the location of electronic books: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/224929
Software
Apart from the basic software, the rest will be free software, such as the R program. You will not be required to purchase any licensed software.