Sinceitsformulationinthe1930s–1950s,animalbehaviorremainsoneofthemostavailableandpivotalsciences.Animalbehavioristhefirstsciencethatmostpeoplepursueaschildren(thinkofatoddlerthatmimicsaforagingsquirrel)andthelastscienceanelderlypersonpractices(consideragrandmotherdescribinghowbirdsinteractatherfeeder).Animalbehaviorisalsooneofthemostpivotalbranchesofallsciences.Animalbehavioris“the”integrativesciencewhoseresearchregularlysplashesacrossthepagesofScience,Nature,andotherprimerjournals.Inaddition,animalbehaviordiscoveriesareregularlyfeaturedthenewsreportsofthepopularmedia.YouwillbeintroducedtothescientificfieldofAnimalBehavior(i.e.Ethology)inthisclass.Studentswillexplorethemechanismsandadaptivesignificanceofbehaviorinawidediversityofspecies,includingwild,domestic,andcompanionanimals.IntheirstudyofAnimalBehavior,studentswillexplorebasicbiologicalprinciples(e.g.homology,naturalselection,andevolution)andbasicscientificprinciples(e.g.scientificmethod,phylogeneticanalysis,andstatistics).Theintegrativelaboratoryexperiencewillemphasizedescriptionandthedesignofexperiments.Topicsincludedescribing,measuring,andmodelingbehavior;designingexperiments;understandingthesensoryworldofotherspecies;aswellasfieldandlaboratoryresearch.Studentswillconductindependentresearchprojectsandpresenttheirresearchinanoralsession.

Instructor: Dr.Charles(billY)GunnelsWH113Email:cgunnels@fgcu.eduPhone:590‐7210OfficeHours:T&Th:afterclass–12orbyappointment.

Credits:3Prerequisites:Biology1010&1011arerequired.ClassTime:T&Th8–10:15am.

Youareexpectedtoattendalllecturesandlabs.Mostlabsarescheduledfortheregularclassperiodbutsomemightoccuratothertimes.Youmaynotturninlaboratoryassignments(e.g.labreports)ifyouareabsentorlatetoclassinvolvingdatacollection.Thereisavoluntaryfieldtrip“ScienceinaDay”onSaturday.

RequiredTextsandReading:

ShermanPW&AlcockJ(2005)“ExploringAnimalBehavior:ReadingsfromAmericanScientist”4thedition,SinauerAssociatesInc.Sunderland,MA.

AdditionalrequiredreadingswillbeavailableonAngel.Readingsmustbereadpriortothatclassperiod.Itisimportantthatyoureadtheassignedmaterialaswellasthetextverycarefullybeforeeachlaborlecture.Lecturesandlabsassumethatyouhavedoneallthereadingforthatweek,sopleasekeepupwiththeweeklyreadingassignments.Ascheduleofthereadingisgivenonthesyllabus.

AdditionalSources(thesearegreatsourcesintroducingyoutoanimalbehavior)

DawkinsR(1976)“TheSelfishGene”OxfordUniversityPress,OxfordUK.Develops/introducesmanyideasinevolutionaryanimalbehavior

Dugatkin(2009)“PrinciplesofAnimalBehavior”2ndedition,W.W.Norton&CompanyInc.,NewYork,NY.Goodtextbookwithwell‐developedintroductorytheory

AlcockJ(2005)“AnimalBehavior”8thedition,SinauerAssociatesInc.Sunderland,MA.Thisisthestandardbywhichallotheranimalbehaviortextbooksarecompared.Pleasantread.

HouchkLD&Drickamer(1996)“FoundationsofAnimalBehavior:ClassicPaperswithCommentaries”TheUniversityofChicagoPress,Chicago,IL.Seminalresearchpapersinthefield.

Krebs&Davies(1978,1984,1991,&1997)“BehavioralEcology:AnEvolutionaryApproach”BlackwellScience,Malden,MABrilliant.Eacheditioncapturesthestateofthefieldatthetimeofpublication.

Freeware&Cheapware

j‐Watcher(http://www.jwatcher.ucla.edu/)‐freeQuantifyvideodata

Analyze‐it(http://www.analyze‐it.com/products/student/default.aspx_)‐$30Statisticaladd‐ontoExcel

Notebooks:Youwillbeexpectedtokeeptwonotebooks:anotebookthatisusedfordatacollectionandfieldnotesandaseparate

notebookthatisusedfortakingnotestakenfromclassandlab.Iwillcollectyourfieldnotebookthroughoutthesemester.Angel:ImportantmaterialisprovidedonAngel.PleaseconsultAngelforup‐to‐dateinformation,deadlinesandadditional

informationforlectures.EmailsshouldbesentviaAngel.Evaluation:Yourgradeinthecourseisbasedontwoequalparts:laboratoryandlecture.

(1)Lecture(50%).Yourlecturegradeisbasedonquizzesandclassparticipation(25%;5%participation&20%Quizzes)andthreeexams(25%each).Seeschedulefordatesandtimes.

(2)Laboratory(50%).Yourlabgradeisbasedonparticipation(10%)andwrittenworkthatyousubmit(30%).Alllabsrequiresomewrittenwork,suchasaworksheet,asetofdescriptions,asetofgraphs,tableofdataorexperimentaldesign.

Thelaboratorywillculminateinthisfinalresearchprojectgiveninanoralpresentationdescribingyourresearch(60%).Youwillbeabletoworkingroupsof1–3onthefinalresearchproject.

(3)BONUS(+10%).OnSaturday24Oct2009youwillhavethechancetoparticipatein“ScienceinaDay”.1lettergradewillbedeductedforeachdaythatanassignmentislate.

PleaseNote:Thelecturesandmaterialsprovidedforthiscoursearethepropertyoftheinstructorsandmaynotbeusedforanycommercialpurposes.Lecturesmaynotbetapedwithoutpriorpermission.

Honesty:Itisexpectedthatyouwillshowethicalbehaviorconcerningyourworkinthisclass.Studentsareexpectedtodotheir

ownwork,usetheirownwordsonpapersandreferencealloutsidesources.Failuretoupholdthestandardsofacademichonestywillresultintheappropriatedisciplinaryaction.

DisabilityStatement:FloridaGulfCoastUniversity,inaccordancewiththeAmericanswithDisabilitiesActandtheuniversity’s

guidingprinciples,willprovideclassroomandacademicaccommodationstostudentswithdocumenteddisabilities.Ifyouneedtorequestanaccommodationinthisclassduetoadisability,oryoususpectthatyouracademicperformancesisaffectedbyadisability,pleaseseemeorcontacttheOfficeofAdaptiveServices.TheOfficeofAdaptiveServicesislocatedinHowardHall,room137.Thephonenumberis590‐7956orTTY590‐7930.

LettersofRecommendation:Studentsseekingaletterofrecommendationshouldprovideasignedletterwaivingtheirrightsto

keeptheiracademicrecordinthisclassprivate.Thiswaiverallowsfacultymemberstodiscussyourrecord,grades,workethic,andintellectualability.Wearenotabletocommentonthesematterswithoutthewaiver.

TentativeSchedule:Allaspectsoftheschedulemaybemodified.Youwillbeinformedofanychanges.Forexample,labsmaybe

changedatthelastminutebecauseofanimaltrainingaswellasadditionalreadingswillbeaddedasneeded.Week Dates Topic Tuesday Thursday LabSkills FocalAnimal LabLocation Readings1 OutsideAssignment2

125&27Aug

IntroductiontoBehavior

Behavior,ActionPatterns,

TalkingaboutBehavior&UsingMetaphorLab

DescribeBehavior Toys InClass SR‐Galef1996 ActionPattern

21&3Sept

Proximate&Ultimate

IntegrativeBiology(the4Question)&BehavioralEvolution

Ethogram DescribeBehavior VariableBowditchPointPark$1/hourparking

EAB‐Holekamp&Sherman53‐60 BuildEthogram3

38&10Sept

Genetics KineticDiagrams BehavioralGenetics ObservationalData BrownAnole FGCUSR–Robinson2002

EAB–Robinson61‐67ConstructKinetic

Diagram4

415&17Sept

Development BehavioralGeneticsNaturevs.Nurture

&LearningExperimentalDesign FruitFly FGCULab

SR–Marler&Tamura1964SR‐Hoppittetal2008

EvaluateFruitFlyData

522&24Sept

Mechanisms Honeybeelearning SensorySystems ExperimentalDesign Honeybee TBASR–vonFrish1956EAB–May137–150

SR–Corcoranetal.2009EvaluateForagingData

629Sept&1Oct

Mechanisms Exam1 HumanMagnetism CircularStatistics Us ? SR‐Baker1980&1987EvaluateYourSensory

Data

76&8Oct

Mechanisms NeuroethologyBehavioral

Endocrinology

EAB–Wingfieldetal.102–108EAB–Vanderbergh109–116

EAB–Bass125–136

813&15Oct

ComparativeBehavioral

PhylogeneticsOptimalForagingLab ExperimentalDesign TBA FGCUCampus EAB–Star164‐174

EvaluateOptimalityData

920&22Oct

Adaptive ForagingHabitatSelection&

Territoriality

SR–Perry&Pianka1997SR–Davis&Stamps2004

“ScienceinaDay”5Oct24

1027&29Oct

Research IndependentResearch Exam2 IndependentResearch

113&5Nov

Sex&Parents SexualSelection ParentalCare EAB–Borgia175–180

EAB‐Thornhill&Gwynne204–211SR‐Kunz&Hosken2009

IndependentResearch

6Nov LastDaytoDropcourse12

10&12Nov

SocialBehavior Altruism Domestication EAB–Heinrich&Marzluff274–281

EAB–Honeycutt293‐303EAB–Trut181‐190

IndependentResearch

1317&19Nov

SocialBehavior IndependentResearch Sociobiology EAB–Sherman&Flaxman191–199

EAB–Buss248‐259IndependentResearch

1424&26Nov

HolidayNoClass

ThanksgivingNoClass

Thanksgiving IndependentResearch

151&3Dec

Research Exam3Research

Presentations

16 7Dec ResearchResearch

Presentations

1EAB=ExploringAnimalBehavior;SR=SupplementaryReadingonAngel.Readinglististentative.2Assignmentswillbedueatthebeginningofclass.3Describeandillustrate3actionpatternsofananimalofyourchoice.4Createkineticdiagramscomparingfemalesandmales5BonusActivityonaSaturday24Oct2009(8–6pm);siteTBA