BIOL 338 - Animal Behavior

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SP, alternate years. Why do birds sing and bees dance? Why do ravens yell and hyenas laugh? Why are prairie dogs promiscuous and macaws monogamous? This course explores the diverse - and sometimes bizarre - strategies and mechanisms that animals use to solve the same basic problems of life: getting food, avoiding predators, finding mates, raising offspring, and living in groups. Learning activities will focus on understanding animal behavior from ecological and evolutionary perspectives and will include lectures, class discussions of scientific papers, behavioral observations, and an independent research project. Prerequisite: BIOL 160 and 250. Lab fee: $70. Not offered 2019-2020