BBE 200 : Animal Behaviour

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BBE 200 (Animal Behaviour) takes you on a fascinating journey through the extraordinary world of Animal Behaviour, searching out unifying principles that underlie the extreme diversity found in nature. Why do birds sing and dance? What keeps families together? How do animals find food? How do animals with very different sensory systems find their way about? This course briefly explores the physiological and neural mechanisms underpinning behaviour, and then focusses on the function and evolution of natural behaviour.

Lectures explore the natural behaviour of diverse animal species, from insects to humans, using instructive examples to illustrate evolution, navigation, foraging, predator-prey interactions, mating systems, mate choice, conflict, communication, and social behaviour. Lectures are full of colourful and engaging materials, including many videos. The lecture series is interspersed with invited lectures from leading Animal Behaviour researchers, who provide personal accounts of their research interests.

Practical work involves a series of laboratory classes that provide training in observational techniques used to study behaviour. Students then apply these skills by conducting an independent observational project on an animal species of their choice.

BBE 200 is part of the Undergraduate Coherent Study in Brain, Behaviour and Evolution (ANB01). The course is taught by staff from the Department of Brain, Behaviour & Evolution (BBE) a community of leading researchers with international reputations. BBE 200 builds upon the very general introduction to fundamental processes of BBE 100 (Introduction to Brain, Behaviour & Evolution), and is designed to be readily accessible to a broad range of students. Other courses in the BBE program include BBE 201 (Human Behaviour & Evolution), BBE 300 (Animal Communication), BBE 301 (Brain & Behaviour), and BBE 302 (Behavioural Ecology).

Aims

By the end of the course, the student will have a basic understanding of functions and evolutionary processes that underpin the natural behaviour of animals. This course prepares the student for further study in the BBE program, and provides excellent additional background for further studies in Biology and Psychology.


Workload

Lectures: 3 h per week
Practicals: 2 h per week plus an Observation Project


Assessment

Textbooks

1) Alcock "Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach" 6th, 7th or 8th Edition, Sinauer Associates (QL751.A58)

2) Martin & Bateson "Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide" Cambridge Unversity Press (BF76.5.M35)