Week 3
Observing and Recording Behavior at the Zoo

LINK TO LAB HANDOUT zooGENERAL EXPECTATIONS

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.

EXTRA stuff that might be helpful as examples:
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

For examples of ethograms see:
--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!