Week 3
Observing and Recording Behavior at the Zoo
This week will be a field trip to the Oregon
Zoo. We will meet in lab and walk over to the Vans. If you are late
we will not wait for you. Please bring your lab notebook.
READ:
Martin and Bateson "Measuring Behavior"
chapter 4 - 7 (pg 56-113) This book is on reserve in the library.
or
Altmann (1974) Observational study
of behavior: sampling methods. Behaviour 48:227-65.
also available in the book Foundations of Animal Behavior.
AT THE ZOO:
Each student pair will choose a species for observation and formulate
a question that is appropriate to address in a zoo setting. Students
will practice different sampling and recording rules with the chosen
species in the enclosure in order to determine
the most appropriate observations techniques, and necessary
ethogram to address the question. The Oregon zoo provides a list of available
species online..
The journal Zoo
Biology has many examples of behavioral studied
at zoos that are designed to improve animal welfare, address issues
in conservation biology, and to provide information to augment field
research. The following provide examples of different sampling and recording
rules.
Marlof, B., McElligott, A.G., Miler, A.E. (2007) Female social dominance
in two Eulemus species with different scocial organizations Zoo Biology
26:201-214.instantaneous
recording.
Meller, C.L., Croney, C.C., Shepherdson, D. (2007) Effects
of rubberized flooring on Asian elephant behavior in captivity. Zoo Biology
Zoo Biology 26:51-61. focal
sampling continuous recording w/ focused ethogram (video)
Sayer, E.C., Whitham, J.C., Margulis, S.W. (2007)
Who needs a forelimb anyway? Locomotor, postural and manipulative behavior
in a one-armed gibbon Zoo Biology 26:215-222. scan
sampling w/ instaneous recording
Xie, Y. (2006) Primary
observations on rutting behavior of the captive red goral Zoo Biology
25:117-123. ad libitum and also scan
sampling
--An ethogram for behavior genetic studies in a model organism.(Drosophila)
--An ethogram
to monitor captive “behavioral syndrome” (horse)
--An ethogram for social behavior (Anolis) (follow the links from here
for video examples and measurement methods)
--An ethogram focused on facial and verbal communication (chimpanzees)
--An ethogram for field work (cockatoo) www.santafe.edu/~jpepper/thesis/03-Ethogram.pdf
TO BE EVALUATED
One page "grant application"
What question do you propose
to address?
Why is this question important?
Why is the zoo the proper
place to address this question?
What is the observation protocol you
propose? (if your question would require physiological measures or tissue
samples, state this but do not go into detail on those methods).
Why
is this technique better than another possible technique?
Can you provide
preliminary data that demonstrates the feasibility of your study?
(You
be evaluated on the clarity of this proposal, and demonstration that
you have mastered the concepts of behavioral observation (i.e. that you
are qualified to carry out this study). You will NOT be evaluated on
the relative scientific merit of this project, or the quality of the
preliminary data).
5 minute presentation of your grant proposal in lab during week 4.
You should present your
hypothesis
and "preliminary results"
You should explain which observation
technique is appropriate for the question you would ask
You should explain what results would support your hypothesis.
Your presentation
should be no more than 3 slides, preffereable 1-2.
Remeber to:
- keep text
to a minimum.
- make every word on the slide be informative.
- don't include extraneous graphics.
- talk to your audience
not your slides.
- this is practice for student presentations, you will receive constructive
criticism from the instructor and class members.
Every
student is expected to keep their own lab notebook and not rely on the
notebook of a labmate, however when raw data is recorded it need not
be copied, a clear statement of where the data is recorded is sufficient.
Lab notebooks will be evaluated!
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