BIOL 4362 Behavioural Ecology & Cognitive Ethology
Instructor: Dr. James F. Hare: 222 Biological Sciences Building; 474-6379
e-mail: james.hare@ad.umanitoba.ca
Office Hours: by appointment (send e-mail to arrange a date & time you prefer)
Lecture: 401 Biological Sciences Building: Slot 10; T, TR 1300 - 1415 hrs
Optional Text: Dugatkin, L.A. 2013. Principles of Animal Behavior, 3rd Ed.
New York, W.W. Norton & Company. 648 pp.
Supplementary Reading: Sherman, P.W. & Alcock, J. 2013. Exploring Animal Behavior –
Readings from American Scientist 6th Ed. Sunderland, Sinauer Associates, 372 pp.
**(and papers listed by major topics on course web site)
Lab/Tutorial: 304 Biological Sciences Building: Slot 21; M 1430 - 1715 hrs
Web Page: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~harejf/BIOL4362/
Teaching Assistant: Ms. Amélie Roberto-Charron: 207 Biological Sciences Building;
e-mail: roberta4@myumanitoba.ca
Overview: Behavioural Ecology and Cognitive Ethology (BIOL 4362) builds upon principles
introduced in Animal Behaviour (BIOL 3360), addressing aspects of mating and parental
behaviour at both the proximate and ultimate levels of causation. Communication – an integral
aspect of those processes – will be examined in detail, providing further insight into the intimate
relationship between behavioural evolution and the environment. The pivotal nature of
communication systems prompts a consideration of "code breaking" in interspecific exploitation,
particularly social parasitism. Further, communication leads naturally into the topic of animal
intellect, where we will explore recent developments in the field of cognitive ethology.
Throughout the course, lectures from active researchers will be incorporated to reinforce major
topics, while three laboratory exercises coincident with major topics from lecture will focus on
methodological aspects of collecting, analyzing and presenting behavioural data.
Lecture Outline:
Topic
Approximate #
of Lectures
Introduction and Course Overview
Reproductive Behaviour
The Evolution of Sex
Mating Systems
Human Sexual Behaviour
Sex Change and Sex
Role Reversal
Readings From
Dugatkin 3rd Edn.
1
1
2
1
2
8 (238-255)
8 (256-258)
2
Lecture Outline: (continued)
Topic
Approximate #
of Lectures
Readings From
Dugatkin 3rd Edn.
Sperm Competition
1
8 (258-263)
Mate Choice and
2
7 (200-231)
Sexual Selection
2 (52-53)
Adaptive Manipulation of Sex Ratio
1
Research Lecture 1 (delayed until 25 February 2016 owing to fieldwork!)
Dr. Jane Waterman: Mating Behaviour of Cape Ground Squirrels
Parental Behaviour
Parental Investment: The Basics
Parent-Offspring Conflict
and Dispersal
Midterm Test
Cooperative Breeding
Parental Favoritism, Brood
Reduction and Siblicide
1
1
2 (60-62)
9 (291-295)
Tuesday February 23rd
2
9 (279-291)
14 (462-465)
1
9 (295-297)
Research Lecture 2
Dr. Scott Forbes: Parent-Offspring Conflict and the Structured Family
Communication
Reasons for Communication
1
13 (418-420)
The Evolution of Honest Signals
1
13 (420-422)
Methods of Study: Determining
1
13 (422-443)
the Function of Communication
Ritualization and the
1
Evolution of Signals
Natural Selection and
2
Signal Characteristics
Code Breaking and
2
Social Parasitism
Research Lecture 3
Dr. Spencer G. Sealy: Brood Parasitism by Brown-Headed Cowbirds
Animal Intellect
Communication and Mental
1
(Griffin reprint)
Representation: Language and
Symbolic Thought
Attribution, Intentionality
1
and Theory of Mind
Physiological Evidence of
1
Thinking
Consequences of
1
Animal Consciousness
3
Lab Exercises: Laboratory and field exercises will provide hands-on experience with data
collection, analysis, and interpretation of material within the context of the major themes
developed in lecture. You will work in groups of 3-4 individuals for each of the 3 exercises, with
data from all groups within the class forming replicates for analysis and written presentation. The
first exercise will be conducted over several laboratory periods and will involve the quantification
of human mating preferences, thus complementing lecture material on reproductive behaviour.
Results from that exercise will be incorporated into an assignment requiring data analysis
addressing both mechanistic and functional questions. The second exercise focuses on avian alarm
communication. You will be introduced to the study in the lab, though data will be collected in the
field over several weeks and pooled to form a class data set. Those data will also form the basis of
a brief assignment where you will be required to perform statistical analyses to answer specific
questions regarding alarm communication. The final exercise will involve a field exercise
conducted in a single laboratory period, and if necessary, independent data collection. Data from
that final exercise will be employed in an assignment similar to that undertaken in the first
exercise, but will address optimality and the assessment of animal cognitive abilities.
Lab Schedule:
Assignment due dates are indicated in italics: 10% will be deducted for each day an assignment
is overdue. Formal lab meetings are held only for the first lab period of each lab exercise (i.e. 11
January, 1 February and 29 February for labs 1, 2 and 3 respectively). The remaining lab
periods allotted to each exercise allow time for data collection and analysis.
 Lab 1: 11 January - 1 February (304 BSB)
Human mate choice (assignment due 1 February)
 Lab 2: 1 February - 29 February (304 BSB Duff/Field Work)
Avian alarm communication (assignment due 29 February)
 Lab 3: 29 February - 22 March (304 BSB/Field Work)
Mammalian locomotion in snow (assignment due 22 March)
Evaluation:
Lecture Midterm
Lecture Final (cumulative)
Human Mate Choice
Avian Alarm Communication
Mammalian Locomotion
30
40
10
10
10
(23 February)
(Exam Date TBA)
(due 1 February)
(due 29 February)
(due 22 March)
100
Voluntary Withdrawal Date: 18 March 2016
Academic Integrity: as per University Policy outlined at;
http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/science/undergrad/resources/webdisciplinedocuments.html
Final Grades:
≥90 = A+
80 - 89 = A
74 - 79 = B+
68 - 73 = B
62 - 67 = C+
56 - 61 = C
50 - 55 = D
<50 = F