LECTURE TOPICS AND READING

The following list of readings is subject to change: please check this site frequently as you prepare for each week.
Refer to table of contents and index of Alcock to find appropriate chapters, student may have different editions.

WEEK 1

Home room  - and Review

Sept 3 INTRODUCTION AND LAB LECTURE ::: Cichlids
  Origin of Species : Instinct chapter Not discussed in class but questions to think about
Sept 5 ALCOCK CHAPTER: 4 & 5
  :: Review Intro Bio text on how neurons work and action potentials
:: Review Intro Bio text book on "central dogma" DNA > RNA > Protein
:: Maruska and Fernald 2013 "Social Regulation of Male Reproductive Plasticity in an African Cichlid Fish" ICBt. 53: 938-950 (This is important for Lab this week)

WEEK 2

 

Animal Behavior - 4 areas of inquiry

Sept 10&12 A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ANIMAL BEHAVIOR Chapter 1 - 7 chapter assignment
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ANIMAL BEHAVIOR Chapter 8 - 12 chapter assignment

WEEK 3

Sept 17

Behavioral Genetics

ALCOCK CHAPTER: 3
Chapter 8 Byers
Anholt, R. and T. Mackay (2010). Principles of Behavioral Genetics, Elsivier.
Sokolowski, M. B. (2001). "Drosophila: Genetics meets behaviour." Nature Reviews Genetics 2(11): 879-890.
Mackay, T. F. C. and R. R. H. Anholt (2007). "Ain't misbehavin? Genotype-environment interactions and the genetics of behavior." Trends in Genetics 23(7): 311-314.
Qunatitative Genetics Chapter (will be covered in lecture)

extra

Greenspan, R. J. (2004). "E pluribus unum, ex uno pluru: Quantitative and single-gene perspectives on the study of behavior." Annual Review of Neuroscience 27: 79-105.
extra Benzer (1973) Genetic Dissection of Behavior Scientific American 229; 24-30.
extra Greenspan (obituary for Benzer)
   
Sept 19

THIS IS MOVED TO NEXT FRIDAY

At least one of the following 4 papers ::: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  Tinbergen, N. (1963). "On aims and methods of Ethology." Zeitschrift fur tierpsychologie 20: 410-433.
    Dewsbury, D. A. (1992). "On the Problems Studied in Ethology, Comparative Psychology, and Animal Behavior." Ethology 92(2): 89-107.
    Alcock, J. and P. Sherman (1994). "The Utility of the Proximate-Ultimate Dichotomy in Ethology." Ethology 96(1): 58-62.
    Thierry, B. (2005). "Integrating proximate and ultimate causation: Just one more go!" Current Science 89(7): 1180-1183.
    Dewsbury, D. A. (1999). "The proximate and the ultimate: past, present, and future." Behavioural Processes 46(3): 189-199.

WEEK 4

Sept24

Behavioral observation (Zoo Biology) & Integrated Animal Behavior

Martin and Bateson Chapter 6-9 This includes the techniques you will need for lab
  Swaisgood, R. R. and D. J. Shepherdson (2005). "Scientific approaches to enrichment and stereotypies in zoo animals: What's been done and where should we go next?" Zoo Biology 24(6): 499-518.
 

Martin, M. and D. Shepherdson (2012). "The role of familiarity and preference on reproductive success in ex-situ conservation breeding programs." Conservation Biology 26(4).

 

Reading, R. P., B. Miller, D. Shepherdson and E. Insalaco (2013). "The Value of Enrichment to Reintroduction Success." Zoo Biology 32: 332-341

EXTRA: Blumstein, D. and E. Fernandez-Juicic (2010). A Primer of Conservation Behavior, Sinaur. Chapter 1. (this book should be in the library if you want to read the rest of it)


Sept26 In class quizz and review of concepts and approach first 30 minutes of class then Tinbergen Discussion (see above scheduled for Sept 19th)
  Practice Questions and major concepts

WEEK 5

Oct 1&3

The Organization and Control of Behavior

ALCOCK CHAPTER: 4 & 5
  Bass, A. H. (1996). "Shaping brain sexuality." American Scientist 84(4): 352-363. List as many hypotheses as you can, draw out the developmental timeline, refresh your memory on hormones.
  Wingfiled et al (1987) "Testosterone and Aggression in Birds" Scientific American. List the 10 predictions of the challenge hypothesis.
extra O'connell L, & Hofmann H (2010) "Genes, hormones, and circuits: An integrative approach to study the evolution of social behavior" Front. in Neurendocrinology (warning: this is pretty dense)

WEEK 6

Oct 8&10

Biological Timekeeping , Orinetation and Migration

ALCOCK CHAPTER: 5 & 8
  Tauber, E. and C. P. Kyriacou (2008). "Genomic approaches for studying biological clocks." Functional Ecology 22(1): 19-29.
  VanderLeest, H. T., T. Houben, et al. (2007). "Seasonal encoding by the circadian pacemaker of the SCN." Current Biology 17(5): 468-473.
Toh, Y., C. R. Jones, et al. (2001). "An hPer2 Phosphorylation Site Mutation in Familial Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome." Science 291:1040-1043.
Emlen, S. T. (1969). "Bird Migration - Influence of Physiological State Upon Celestial Orientation." Science 165(3894): 716-720.
Moller, A. P. (2001). "Heritability of arrival date in a migratory bird." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 268(1463): 203-206.
Lohmann, K. J. (1992). "How Sea-Turtles Navigate." Scientific American 266(1): 100-106.
  note: Monday is the last day to drop
FRIDAY 4:00

SEMINAR ASSIGNMENT: "Spatial Hearing in Cluttered Acoustical Environments" Terry Takahashi, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon

Please Read Baxter et al. 2013 before the seminar and prepare answers to the assigned questions after the seminar.

WEEK 7

Oct 15&17

Communication

ALCOCK CHAPTER 9
  Endler, J. A. and A. L. Basolo (1998). "Sensory ecology, receiver biases and sexual selection." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 13(10): 415-420.
  Tobias, J. A., J. Aben, et al. (2010). "Song Divergence by Sensory Drive in Amazonian Birds." Evolution 64(10): 2820-2839.
  West, P. M. (2005). "The lion's mane." American Scientist 93(3): 226-235.
  Searcy, W. A. and S. Nowicki (2008). "Bird song and the problem of honest communication." American Scientist 96(2): 114-121.
Oct 17 GUEST LECTURE ::: Sharon Glaeser

WEEK 8

 

FALL BREAK - read Book Club book and start the assignment

WEEK 9

Oct 29 Finish Communication
Oct 31

Sexual Selection; Sex- role; Mate choice

ALCOCK CHAPTER: 10, 11, 12 GUEST LECTURE CYNTHIA O'ROURKE
  Eens, M. and R. Pinxten (2000). "Sex-role reversal in vertebrates: behavioural and endocrinological accounts." Behavioural Processes 51(1-3): 135-147.
  Andersson, M. and Y. Iwasa (1996). "Sexual selection." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 11(2): A53-A58.
  Andersson, M. and L. W. Simmons (2006). "Sexual selection and mate choice." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21(6): 296-302.
  Clutton-Brock, T. (2007). "Sexual selection in males and females." Science 318(5858): 1882-1885.
FRIDAY 4:00
SEMINAR ASSIGNMENT
:"Swamps and Stress: Hypoxia as a driver of phenotypic divergence in African fishes" Lauren Chapman, Department of Biology, McGill University

WEEK 10

Nov 5

Sexual Selection; Sex-role Reversal and Cryptic Choice

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  Paczolt, K. A. and A. G. Jones (2010). "Post-copulatory sexual selection and sexual conflict in the evolution of male pregnancy." Nature 464(7287): 401-U494.

  Warner, R. R. (1984). "Mating-Behavior and Hermaphroditism in Coral-Reef Fishes." American Scientist 72(2): 128-136.

Nov 7 Post Book Club Power Point slides (2 only) to server
Nov 7
GUEST LECTURE ::: Jeanne Altmann
  Pennisi (2014) "Baboon Watch" (this is a fun read about the history of Baboon research at Amboseli.
 

On Reserve in the Library
Read Jeanne Altmann's autobiography chapter in "Leaders in Animal Behavior" ON RESERVE
also read one other autobiography chapter from among Sarah Hrdy, MaryJane West-Eberhard, Patty Gowaty,

FRIDAY 4:00 SEMINAR ASSIGNMENT:
"Life on the wild side: ecological and social environments get under the skin in a wild primate population" Jeanne Altmann, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

WEEK 11

Nov 12 &14 Book Club Presentations (2.5 min each)

WEEK 12

Nov 19

Alternate Reproductive Tactics

ALCOCK CHAPTER 11 & 12
  Crews, D. (1994). "Animal Sexuality." Scientific American 270(1): 108-114.
  Gross, M. R. (1996). "Alternative reproductive strategies and tactics: Diversity within sexes." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 11(2): 92-98.
  Gross, M. R. (2005). "The evolution of parental care." Quarterly Review of Biology 80(1): 37-45.

   
Nov 21

Game Theories and Behavior

ALCOCK CHAPTER 7 & 13
  Stephens, D. W. (2008). "Decision ecology: Foraging and the ecology of animal decision making." Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience 8(4): 475-484.
  Smith, J. M. (1976). "Evolution and Theory of Games." American Scientist 64(1): 41-45.
  Mesterton-Gibbons, M. and E. S. Adams (1998). "Animal contests as evolutionary games." American Scientist 86(4): 334-341.
  Catania, K. C. and F. E. Remple (2005). "Asymptotic prey profitability drives star-nosed moles to the foraging speed limit." Nature 433(7025): 519-522.

Nov 21

 

FOR FUN Dawkins, R. (1976). Chapter 12: The Selfish Gene, Oxford University Press.
   
   

WEEK 13

Nov 26

GAME THEORY CONT.

  Dawkins, R. (1976). The Selfish Gene, Oxford University Press.
  Smith, J. M. (1976). "Evolution and Theory of Games." American Scientist 64(1): 41-45.
  Mesterton-Gibbons, M. and E. S. Adams (1998). "Animal contests as evolutionary games." American Scientist 86(4): 334-341.
Nov 28

Thanksgiving BREAK

WEEK 14

Dec 3

Behavioral Syndromes

  Briffa, M. and A. Weiss (2010). "Animal personality." Current Biology 20(21): R912-R914.
  van Oers, K., P. J. Drent, et al. (2004). "Realized heritability and repeatability of risk-taking behaviour in relation to avian personalities." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences 271(1534): 65-73.
  Sih, A., A. Bell, et al. (2004). "Behavioral syndromes: an ecological and evolutionary overview." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 19(7): 372-378.
Dec 5

Parasites

  Sapolsky, R. (2003). "Bugs in the brain." Scientific American 288(3):94-97.
  Beckage, N. E. (1997). "The parasitic wasp's secret weapon." Scientific American 277(5): 82-87.
  Libersat, F. (2003). "Wasp uses venom cocktail to manipulate the behavior of its cockroach prey." Journal of Comparative Physiology a-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology 189(7): 497-508.
December 5th In class quizz to coverSexual Selection, Alternate Reproductive Tactics, Game Theory,, Optimal Foraging, and Behavioral Syndromes.
 

WEEK 15

Dec 10

SPANDRALS DISCUSSION

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS everyone should read these papers and consider the questions even if you have already completed the assignments for the two earlier discussion days (Tinbergen 1963 and the Paczolt paper on pipefish)

  #3 Gould & Lewontin (1979) Spandrels of St. Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: a critique of the adaptionist program PRS 205:581-598.
  #4 Mayr (1983) How to Carry out the Adaptionist Program? Amer Nat 121:324-334.
  ALSO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE PARASITE PAPER YOU GOT IN CLASS LAST FRIDAY

FINALS WEEK

   
 

NO FINAL other than poster presentations