425
Overview
Evolution Zoology of Behavior
This course investigates how evolutionary processes shape behavior, focusing on the influence of natural, sexual, and kin selection. The course will provide the background needed to understand behavioral evolution, including the basic principles of behavioral genetics, natural selection, sexual selection, kin selection, cultural evolution, optimality, game theory & evolutionary stable strategies, and the comparative method. In the context this background provides, well study the evolution of a variety of behaviors, including communication, mate choice, parental care, mating systems, social behavior, cooperation, foraging, anti-predator behavior, and territoriality. Examples will be taxonomically broad and include insects and other arthropods, other invertebrates, and vertebrates. Instructor Dr. Jenny Boughman Contact info: Office hours: Alycia Lackey Contact info: Office hours: [e-mail] Birge 428 262-2636 Tues 3:45 to 4:45 or by appointment [e-mail] Birge 426 262-4437 Mon 2:45-3:45 or by appointment
TA
Course format
Two lectures per week (2:30 - 3:45, Tues & Thurs) plus discussion. Noland 168 Discussion Each week a current paper will be assigned to be read and discussed. The objective is to get more in-depth coverage of topics covered in lecture, let you see how research on animal behavior is conducted, and learn to read and critique scientific papers. Each week, one or two students will be responsible for presenting the paper and leading discussion. All students are expected to read the papers, and to hand in a brief summary and 2 discussion questions. You will be evaluated on attendance, participation, weekly written assignments, and your preparation as discussion leader. Text & Website JR Krebs & NB Davies An Introduction to Behavioral Ecology, 3rd ed. Text is optional but highly recommended. The course has a website on Learn@UW, where you can find discussion papers and lecture notes. Log onto your Learn@UW site ( http://uwmad.courses.wisconsin.edu ) to gain access to your online courses. Grades Based on 3 exams and discussion with equal weights (25% each). The last exam is not cumulative. Exam format will be short essay and some multiple choice. Exams will test your understanding of the material rather than your ability to remember facts. To do well, you should be able to do more than just remember what I taught you. You should be able to explain it and apply it. Many students find the exams challenging because they do not test simple memorization ability, but focus on concepts and their application. Use the study questions to help prepare.
Lecture schedule
(May be modified as we go along) Readings from Krebs & Davies are optional. Discussion papers are NOT optional. Week 1 - Sept 4,6 2 - Sept 11,13 3 - Sept 18,20 4 - Sept 25,27 5 - Oct 2,4 6 - Oct 9,11 7 - Oct 16,18 8 - Oct 23,25 9 - Oct 30, Nov 1 10 - Nov 6,8 11 - Nov 13,15 12 - Nov 20 13 - Nov 27,29 14 - Dec 4,6 15 - Dec 11,13 Tues 1. Introduction 3. Evolutionary genetics & behavior 5. Natural selection & theory 7. Antipredator behavior Exam 1 10. Mating systems & Reproductive behavior 12. Evolution of female preference 14. Sexual conflict 16. Signal design Exam 2 19. Kin selection 21. Cooperation & conflict 22. Kin selection & group selection 24. Spatial & Social learning 26. Animal personalities Thurs 2. Natural selection 4. Evolutionary change 6. Comparative method 8. Parental care 9. Mating systems 11. Sexual selection 13. Evolution of female preference 15. Evolution of Communication 17. Recognition systems Price 1999 18. Cooperation 20. Social evolution Thanksgiving 23. Learning 25. Learning & Culture Dingemanse et al 2004 Exam 3 review/ no discussion Ch 11 review/ no discussion Ch 12 Olendorf et al 2004 Ch 13 no discussion Ch 6 Clutton-Brock et al 2001 Reading / discussion Ch 1 Ch 3 Allen & Clarke 2005 Ch 2 & 5 Wiens 1999 Ch 4 Mappes et al 2005 review/ no discussion Ch 9 Ch 10, 8 Brooks 2000 Arnqvist & Rowe 2002 Ch 14 Platzen & Magrath 2005
Zoology 425 Evolution of Behavior Discussion
TA: Alycia Lackey Email: [e-mail] Phone: [phone] Office: 426 Birge Hall Office Hours: Monday 2:45-3:45 & by appointment
Purpose: The discussion section is to give students experience in reading about and presenting scientific research in animal behavior. Students are expected to read the assigned papers from scientific journals thoroughly and come prepared to discuss the paper in class. Weekly assignments are meant to prepare students for discussion. Each week a different group of students presents the results of the paper and leads the discussion of it for the class. Weekly Assignments: Each student is required to turn in a typed page summary of each week's paper and 2 questions about the paper at the beginning of discussion. Questions can be either about the content or the ideas of the paper, but are meant to show that you have read the paper. Try to print out a second of copy your questions, so you have them for discussion. Make sure that both your name and section number are on the summary and questions. The assignments will be graded with a plus (full credit), check plus (partial credit, either portions of the paper were missing from the summary or only one question was included), and check (half credit, if questions were not included or the summary doesn't display the fact that you read the paper). Attendance/Participation: Your discussion grade is based on your participation in discussion (See Grading below). You get partial credit for coming to the discussion, but need to participate regularly to get full credit. Preparing two questions in advance is meant to give you an easy way to join in the discussion, by asking your questions. Remember there are no stupid questions. Discussion should be a setting in which you feel comfortable to put forth your questions and ideas about the papers we discuss. Please let me know if this is not the case, or if you are having problems speaking in front of the class. Presentations: Each week one or two students will present the assigned paper and lead the class discussion of the paper. Students will sign up to lead discussions in the first discussion section. The presenter(s) should prepare a 7-10 minute oral summary of the paper and bring questions for the group to discuss. All presenting groups must meet with me the week before they lead discussion to talk about the paper and how you can prepare your discussion. Your summary should include a brief overview of the main question of the paper, the significance of this question, the methods used, and the results of the paper (which includes explaining the figures in the paper). It should also include the conclusions that can be drawn from the results and how the paper relates to topics covered in lecture. Questions for the class should be designed to provoke critical analysis of the paper. Do the results of the paper answer the main questions posed by the researchers? Were all the predictions met by the results (why or why not)? Were there any unexpected results and how were these explained? Do you believe the conclusions of the researchers? Was the design of the experiment(s) appropriate or could it be changed to give clearer results? What unanswered questions are there? What future studies could this research lead to? Questions about the content of the paper, especially confusing sections, can also be brought up in discussion. If you found one part of the paper confusing, chances are others did too. In order to lead a good discussion on your paper, you must make sure you understand your paper thoroughly. I will help with the discussion, but you and your group members are expected to be the experts on your paper. A grade will be given to the group based on the presentation of the paper. You can split up responsibilities for the presentation within the group, but each group member is expected to understand the whole paper. Grading: The grade for discussion comprises 25% of your class grade. It will be based on weekly assignments (1/3), weekly participation(1/3), and your presentation (1/3). Discussion readings These should be read BEFORE your discussion section each week. Assignments for each paper need to be handed in at the beginning of discussion class.
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11
Attend Discussion ! Allen T & Clarke JA (2005) Social learning of food preferences by white-tailed ptargmigan chicks. Animal Behaviour 70: 305-310. Wiens JJ (1999) Phylogenetic evidence for multiple losses of a sexually selected character in phrynosomatid lizards. Proceedings Roy Soc B 266: 1529-1535. Mappes J, Marples N & Endler JA (2005) The complex business of aposematism. Trends Ecol & Evol 20: 598-603. exam - no discussion attend review Brooks R (2000) Negative genetic correlation between male sexual attractiveness and survival. Nature 406: 67-70. Arnqvist G & Rowe L (2002) Antagonistic coevolution between the sexes in a group of insects. Nature 415: 787-789. Platzen D & Magrath RD (2005) Adaptive differences in response to two types of parental alarm call in altricial nestlings. Proceedings Roy Soc B 272: 1101-1106. Price JJ (1999) Recognition of family-specific calls in stripe-backed wrens. Animal Behaviour 57: 483-492. exam - no discussion attend review Olendorf R, Getty T & Scribner K (2004) Cooperative nest defence in red-winged blackbirds: reciprocal altruism, kinship or by-product mutualism? Proceedings Roy Soc B 271: 177-182. no discussion Thanksgiving Clutton-Brock TH et al. (2001) Cooperation, control, and concession in meerkat groups. Science 291: 478-481. Koenig, WD & Haydock, J (2001) Dividing up the kids. Science. 291: 442-443. Dingemanse NJ, Both C, Drent PJ & Tinbergen JM (2004) Fitness consequences of avian personalities in a fluctuating environment. Proceedings Roy Soc B 271: 847-852. exam - no discussion attend review
Week 12 Week 13
Week 14 Week 15