Dr. F. Dolins Oct 16 2012
Requirements for Completing 3, 2 or 1 credit(s)
Independent Study in the Animal Behavior Speakers Series
Winter 2013
Independent Study Supervisors
(Department of Behavioral Sciences)
Drs. Francine Dolins, Janet Dunn, Megan Moore & Susana Pecina
7 guest presentations in total in the Animal Behavior Speakers’ Series
Student Requirements:
Attend all 7 guest presentations
Attend one lunch/dinner or reception with a Guest Speaker
Read 2 peer-reviewed journal articles by the guest speakers for each of the 7
presentations attended (made available on CTools)
Meet with supervising professor 4 times during the semester to discuss the
presentations and readings and preparation of written work
Write a two page summary (800 words+references) for each presentation
including the 2 references
Based on the essay topics below, write either one 4000 word essay, tying
together ideas from 3 of the presentations OR write two 2000 word essays
tying together the ideas from 2 presentations for each paper (e.g., 2
presentations per essay). This could be a ‘compare and contrast’ type of
essay based on methodologies and information found.
Tentative list of essay topics: students can choose one or two and complete these
for partial fulfillment of the requirements for 3 credits:
1). What forms of communication do animals use to convey important information,
such as about their social status, mating status, potential threats, and quality of
foraging sites? Explain how these forms of communication work in tandem with a
species’ sensory and perceptual systems.
2). Explain the bases of social cognition in nonhuman animals. What importance
does it have for the species’ social organization, communication, and for individuals’
survival?
3). What defines the relationship of humans to other species? Specifically, how do
humans relate to domesticated species, such as dogs? Discuss whether this is
adaptive for humans and for the dogs.
1
Dr. F. Dolins Oct 16 2012
4). How do nonhuman animals find their way around their environments, in
particular, to find food and return to sleeping sites? Are there differences between
species in route-finding? If so, speculate as to why these differences exist based on
the feeding ecology of the species.
5). Is the primate brain singularly different from other animals? What does the
lateralization and hemispheric specialization of primate brains in particular, reveal
about the relationship between the neural organization and cognitive abilities?
6). Why is insight into solving problems so essential for flexible behavior in
nonhuman (and human) animals? Develop an argument to support the idea that
nonhuman animals display insightful learning to novel problems.
7). How does the social behavior of a predator species, such as hyenas, differ from
that of frugivores and folivores?
Requirements for Completing 1 or 2 credits
Independent Study in the Animal Behavior Speakers Series
Winter 2013
Student Requirements:
Attend 6 of the 7 guest presentations for 2 credits; 5 of 7 for 1 credit
Attend one lunch/dinner or reception with a Guest Speaker
Read 2 peer-reviewed journal articles by the guest speakers for each of the
presentations attended (made available on CTools)
Meet with supervising professor 3 times during the semester to discuss the
presentations and readings and preparation of written work
Write a two page summary (800 words+references) for each presentation
attended including the 2 references
Based on the essay topics below, write one 3000 word essay, tying together
ideas from 3 of the presentations. This could be a ‘compare and contrast’ type
of essay based on methodologies and information found.
Tentative list of essay topics: students can choose one topic and complete the essay
for partial fulfillment of the requirements of 1 or 2 credits:
1). What forms of communication do animals use to convey important information,
such as about their social status, mating status, potential threats, and quality of
foraging sites? Explain how these forms of communication work in tandem with a
species’ sensory and perceptual systems.
2
Dr. F. Dolins Oct 16 2012
2). Explain the bases of social cognition in nonhuman animals. What importance
does it have for the species’ social organization, communication, and for individuals’
survival?
3). What defines the relationship of humans to other species? Specifically, how do
humans relate to domesticated species, such as dogs? Discuss whether this is
adaptive for humans and for the dogs.
4). How do nonhuman animals find their way around their environments, in
particular, to find food and return to sleeping sites? Are there differences between
species in route-finding? If so, speculate as to why these differences exist based on
the feeding ecology of the species.
5). Is the primate brain singularly different from other animals? What does the
lateralization and hemispheric specialization of primate brains in particular, reveal
about the relationship between the neural organization and cognitive abilities?
6). Why is insight into solving problems so essential for flexible behavior in
nonhuman (and human) animals? Develop an argument to support the idea that
nonhuman animals display insightful learning to novel problems.
7). How does the social behavior of a predator species, such as hyenas, differ from
that of frugivores and folivores?
3