Course Info: CS-0220
| Course | CS-0220 Animal Behavior |
| Long Title | Animal Behavior: Evolution, development, and neural bases of behavior - theory and field work |
| Term | 2018S |
| Note(s) |
Satisfies Distribution Textbook information |
| Meeting Info | Adele Simmons Hall 111 on T,TH from 2:00-3:20 |
| Faculty | Laela Sayigh |
| Capacity | 25 |
| Available | 17 |
| Waitlist | 0 |
| Distribution(s) |
Mind, Brain, and Information |
| Cumulative Skill(s) | Writing and Research Independent Work Quantitative Skills |
| Additional Info | In 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, and research. |
| Description | This course will explore the main theoretical ideas and methods of the scientific study of animal behavior. It is the second of a two-course sequence, although students who did not take the first semester are welcome to enroll (they will be expected to do some extra reading in preparation). We will continue to explore the functional and evolutionary bases of animal behavior, including altruism, social behavior, reproductive behavior, mating systems, parental care, the influence of neural systems on behavior, and animal cognition. Students will also continue to put into practice some of the ways that scientists observe, record and measure behavior in the natural world. The main reading and discussion material for the course will be drawn from John Alcock's textbook, Animal Behavior, supplemented by journal articles from the scientific literature. Assignments will include (but are not limited to) written responses to textbook readings and journal articles, a presentation on a paper about pig behavior, and a hands on research project carried out on the Hampshire College farm, to be described in a full-length final paper and oral presentation. |