01/18

Introduction to Ethology
Goals of the course, questions we will address, getting to know each other
Levels of analysis we will use to approach those questions, how to reach a conclusion, the scientific method, ‘Truth’ in science

01/23

Evolution and Genetics
Darwin, Natural Selection, ideas of 1) how a behavior or phenotype evolved and 2) what its adaptive value is
Review of molecular biology, trait heritance patterns, genomes, methods in genetic analysis including DNA sequencing, genotyping, mutation analysis, and genetic manipulation

01/25

Journal Club – ants

01/30

Neuroscience
Organization of the nervous system, neurotransmitters, receptors
Neural Stimulus Response Patterns: Releasers, command centers, pattern generators, inhibitory control of behavior

02/01

Journal Club -- Drosophila feeding preference

02/06

Biological clocks
Environment dependent and independent mechanisms, genetic pathways controlling the internal clocks
Long-term cycles: migration, breeding, dependence on internal and external (light, food, rain) cues as well as social environments

02/08

Sleep/Hibernation
Compare and contrast neural mechanisms of each
Journal Club -- Hibernation molecular mechanisms

02/15

Songbird song learning-Development
Songbird song learning-Social

02/20

Journal Club - Effect of hormones on songbird learning

02/22

UV, coloration -- Honest Signals for mate attraction

02/27

Courtship in drosophila
Neural and genetic control of this well-studied stereotyped behavior sequence
Journal Club – How food and sex cues integrate to regulate fly behavior

02/29

Social Communication and pheromones
How olfactory cues provide social context for meaningful behavior
Journal Club – MHC peptides in stickleback fish

03/07

Evolution of Reproduction
Review of sex roles, mating strategies, competing hypotheses
Sexual selection

03/12

Spring Break

03/14

Spring Break

03/19

Mating systems; Monogamy
Revisit voles, neurobiological mechanisms of pair bonding
*Final project guidelines included in this lecture*

03/21

Polyandry
Successful cases of one female, multi-male mating system Polygyny: Tactics
Successful examples of one male, multi-female mating system

03/26

Parental Care
Differences between maternal and paternal roles, strategies of young
Journal Club – Multisensory integration by mouse mothers

03/28

Favoritism
Why might one offspring be better “loved”?
Infanticide
An overview of parental killing of offspring in various species, including human

04/02

Journal Club – Sex chromosomes and parenting

04/09

Altruism
Exploring the reasons for, and mechanisms behind playful or helpful behavior
Journal Club – Mirror test in fish, article and debate

04/11

Echolocation
Using bats as the key model system, investigating the neural mechanisms behind this highly effective prey-detection/feeding behavior
Star-nosed Moles: Use of touch to find prey

04/16

Feeding Strategies
Optimal Foraging, Frequency Dependent Selection
Bees

04/18

Bees; Honeybee dances
Social communication in foraging
Journal Club: Bees use of gut microbiome to recognize bees

04/23

Territoriality and Conflict

04/25

Anti-Predator behavior
Strategies to avoid detection, and strategies to overcome those adaptations
Optimality and Game Theory: two leading theories to explain foraging and anti-predator behavior

04/30

Migration
Birds, turtles, etc. Reasons for, mechanisms to accomplish long distance travel

 

Final Papers due: May 5, 2024