Course Info: CS-0216

CourseCS-0216 Animal Behavior 1
Long TitleAnimal Behavior 1: Theory and Fieldwork
Term2017F
Note(s) Satisfies Distribution
Textbook information
Meeting InfoAdele Simmons Hall 222 on W,F from 1:00-2:20
FacultyMark Feinstein
Capacity25
Available5
Waitlist0
Distribution(s) Physical and Biological Sciences
Cumulative Skill(s)Writing and Research
Quantitative Skills
Independent Work
Additional InfoIn this course, students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time. This time includes reading, writing, research.
Description

This was the first of a two-course sequence exploring the main theoretical ideas and methods of ethology, the scientific study of animal behavior. In this first semester, we explored the functional and evolutionary bases of animal behavior and cognition, dealing with topics such as social behavior, foraging, territoriality, and communication. The main reading and discussion materials were drawn from the first half of John Alcock's textbook, Animal Behavior, supplemented by journal articles from the professional scientific literature. Several summary/critique papers on the journal articles were required, along with a set of questions drawn from the textbook. The main work of the class was a student-designed collaborative group research project, using as subjects a group of domestic pigs (Gloucestershire Old Spots) at the Hampshire College Farm Center.