BIOL 35200 - Animal Behavior

Course Credit: 1
(ENVS, NEUR)
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Why do animals behave the way they do? In this course, we will study this question from a variety of angles including: development, mechanistic causes, functional significance, and evolution. We will draw examples from a wide taxonomic spectrum of animals and using primary scientific literature. The optional laboratory section of the course will emphasize how to use animal behavior to address practical problems such as dog-to-dog aggression at the local dog shelter and management of animal “pests” on the college campus. In the lab section, students will learn techniques, tools, and skills used in animal behavior for observation, experimental design, collecting data, and analyzing and presenting results to fellow scientists and the general public. Prerequisite(s): BIOL-20200, minimum grade C-; or permission of instructor Annually