Animal Behavior Bio472 Spring 2014 Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 Animal Behavior Bio472 Spring 2014 Course Dr. Stacey Weiss: Office: Thompson 223H Phone: Lecture: MWF 10-10:50 in TH191 Lab: Mon or Tues 1-4:50 in HA235 Office Hours: Monday Tuesday 9-10 Friday 12-1 By appointment Required text: Dugatkin, L. A Principles of Animal Behavior. 3rd edn. New York: Norton and Company. Additional readings from the scientific literature will be assigned throughout the semester. A course Moodle site will be updated regularly with course information, lecture powerpoint slides, assigned readings, and links to articles, stories of interest, important society websites, etc. You will also be turning in many assignments via Moodle. Please visit the site regularly throughout the semester. Course overview: This course will provide a survey of key concepts, theories and models in the field of Animal Behavior, integrating behavioral analyses into an explicitly evolutionary framework. We will focus on proximate questions of behavior (i.e., the mechanistic causes of behavior), discussing genetic, hormonal, neural and environmental influences on the development and expression of behavior, as well as ultimate questions of behavior (i.e., how behaviors are shaped and constrained by ecology and evolutionary history), discussing behaviors important to survival, such as finding food and avoiding predators, and those important to reproduction, such as selecting mates. In the process, students will actively discuss modern theory, engage in observational and experimental study, and develop an innovative research proposal. Animal behaviorists relay the importance and excitement of their work in a number of formats including written scientific papers, formal and informal oral presentations, poster presentations, grant proposals, and panel discussions. Students will further develop their scientific communication skills throughout the semester, gaining experience with many of these formats. Coursework: Your grade in this course will be determined by a variety of course components including: Exams Discussions of scientific literature Lab exercises Group experiment at Pt. Defiance Zoo Development of a research proposal

2 Exams: There will be three midterm exams, one mini-exam and a graded paper analysis. The three midterm exams will be administered on Wednesday evenings (6-8pm), and the associated exam review sessions will be held during that day s lecture period. Alternate times (but not alternate days) for the night exams may be arranged for students with extenuating circumstances. If you find yourself in such a situation, you must talk to me at least one week prior to the exam date to schedule the alternate time. The mini-exam will be given during the lecture period. (It is mini because it is based on only 2 weeks worth of material.) Dates for exams are not flexible and will not change, so please mark them on your calendars now. If you foresee problems with the dates, let me know as soon as you can. Exams (midterm and mini-) will cover material and concepts from lecture, lab, and assigned scientific literature. Exam questions will include a combination of short-answer, data & graphical interpretation, and problem-solving questions with a few multiple-choice questions scattered around as well. You should be prepared to apply your knowledge of course material and concepts to new situations and datasets. The graded paper analysis is designed to test your ability to effectively interpret and critically assess the scientific literature, which is a skill we will be working on all semester (see below). You will be provided with the scientific article at least 4 days prior to conducting the graded work. The graded analysis will be performed independently in class, but you are welcome and encouraged to discuss the paper with your peers prior to that class period. Discussions of scientific literature: In both lecture and lab, we will be reading and discussing articles from the scientific literature. In lecture, all students must be prepared for all discussions, and each of you will have the opportunity to lead one discussion. See the Discussions of Scientific Literature handout posted on Moodle for guidelines. Note that it is your responsibility to demonstrate to me your preparedness. The best way to do this is to provide strong intellectual contributions to each discussion. In lab, you will give a brief oral summary of a paper of your choosing to your peers. Lab exercises will introduce you to some of the ways animal behaviorists address questions in their field and will aid in the development of your zoo project and your research proposal. Attendance is mandatory at all labs. We will begin with the basics: How do you observe animal behavior in a way that is unbiased and quantifiable? We will also conduct studies that will introduce you to a variety of study methodologies and techniques. Some labs will have preand/or post-lab assignments. All lab handouts will be posted on the course Moodle site. Zoo Study: Lab groups will work with members of the Pt. Defiance Zoo & Aquarium s Enrichment Committee to develop and conduct a novel research project. You will gain direct experience collecting, analyzing and interpreting behavioral data and the zoo staff will gain important information that may influence future management decisions. I am very excited by this great opportunity and cannot over-emphasize the need to take the project seriously. The zoo staff members are really busy people and assisting us with our studies will require an additional time commitment from them. To make it worth their while, I have promised them a classload of excellent, dedicated, responsible, trustworthy, reliable Page 2

3 students that will provide them with high-quality, usable data. I look forward to delivering on that promise! On Moodle, please find a packet of information on the Zoo Study and review it fully. It includes a list of associated events, assignment due dates and guidelines for all activities. Development of a research proposal: Animal behaviorists write grant proposals to various agencies in order to fund their research. In this class, you will complete a series of assignments leading to the development of a creative and innovative research proposal in the field of animal behavior. Any topic which is related to animal behavior can be chosen, even if it is not discussed in class. My hope is that you find a topic for your proposal that really truly motivates and excites you. It is definitely one of those you-get-out-what-you-put-in sorts of deals. Who knows you may end up developing your future PhD project! To put together a great proposal, you should begin examining the literature asap to find the types of behavioral questions that interest you the most. A complete list of associated assignments, due dates and guidelines are provided in a packet of information about the Research Proposal posted on Moodle. You will also find tips for writing an excellent proposal on the course Moodle site. Proposals will be evaluated by me, as well as by a group of your peers. Each student will read and prepare written evaluations of their peers proposals. The proposals will then be reviewed during panel discussions, modeled after the panel discussions of real funding agencies. The panel discussion will give you a good idea of how research funds are allocated to scientific research, and provide an opportunity for you to appreciate the efforts and ideas of your classmates. Some thoughts about academic honesty and appropriate conduct I assume that you have committed to the University s Student Integrity Code ( and that you have read and understand the University s policies on Academic Honesty ( as outlined in The Logger. Please talk to me if you have any questions about this information, particularly about plagiarism. You can find more information about plagiarism at Remember that avoiding plagiarism requires an active approach, as even poor note-taking can result in unintentional plagiarism! You must be ever mindful not to misrepresent someone else s work/words/data/figures/etc. as your own. Scientific integrity and respectful conduct are expected to guide your actions (as well as my own) in this class. These qualities are essential for this course which involves group discussions, experimentation, and evaluation. Appropriate in-class behavior requires that you turn off all mobile devices prior to lecture and lab. No calls, no texting, no gaming, and Page 3

4 no web-surfing in class. If you use a laptop for note-taking, use it only for that (unless otherwise instructed). Academic and scientific dishonesty will not be tolerated, including: 1) Cheating on exams 2) Alteration, fabrication, or other misuse of scientific data 3) Plagiarism 4) Unauthorized removal of or damage to library materials An act of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment linked to the offense. Additional penalties may apply as the University requires that all acts of academic dishonesty are reported to the Dean of Students, who may opt to impose further sanctions. Some nitty-gritty about grading Late Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of the lecture or lab period on the due date unless otherwise stated. Late assignments will be assessed a 10% late penalty per 24- hour period that the assignment is late, with the following exceptions: discussion preps, the Week 2 pre-lab, the Week 4 and Week 5 post-labs, and peer reviews of proposals are not accepted late. Missed Exams, Lectures & Labs: If you miss an exam, lecture or lab due to an unforeseen emergency, I will take this into consideration when assigning final grades if you provide appropriate documentation. However, you are not allowed to turn in in-class or in-lab assignments for a lecture or lab that you did not attend, and no make-up exams will be provided. Please check the course schedule and see me immediately if you anticipate a problem with a given exam or lab date. (Requests for an alternative exam time must be made at least one week prior to the exam date.) Will grades be curved?: Grades will be assigned based on the total accumulated points. Final course grades will be assigned on a straight scale, meaning that those of you with 90% or more of the available points will earn yourselves an A or A-, those with 80% will earn a B-range grade, and so on. Thus, you will not be in competition for grades with your peers. However, I reserve the right to adjust the scale in your favor at the end of the semester (i.e., an adjusted scale may assign A s to students with less than 90%, but never B s to students with 90% or more!). Additionally, I reserve the right to take improvement and effort into account in determining your final grade if, at the end of the semester, your grade falls on a borderline. Some other important issues If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Peggy Perno, Director of the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations, 105 Howarth, She will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is Page 4

5 confidential. Please talk to me about your accommodation needs as soon as possible so that we can discuss the best way to ensure an effective learning environment for you. The University has asked all faculty to include the following Classroom Emergency Response Guidance information: Please review university emergency preparedness and response procedures posted at There is a link on the university home page. Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings. If building evacuation becomes necessary (e.g. earthquake), meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so she/he can account for your presence. Then wait for further instructions. Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by a university emergency response representative. If confronted by an act of violence, be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety. Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom or lab doors and windows, closing blinds, and turning off room lights. Lie on the floor out of sight and away from windows and doors. Place cell phones or pagers on vibrate so that you can receive messages quietly. Wait for further instructions. Page 5

6 Point Distribution Assignment Points Exams Midterm exams 100 pts each) 300 Mini-exam 25 Paper analysis 25 Sum 350 Paper Discussions Paper discussions 10 pts each + 25 pts for leading) 125 Sum 125 Zoo study Project preproposal 20 Behavioral observations 10 pts each) 50 Data entry 5 pts each) 25 Contribution to overall project design, implementation & success 10 Poster 60 Abstract 20 Contribution to final presentation 10 Sum 195 Research proposal Articles of Interest 5 Questions & Theory 10 Hypotheses & Predictions 20 Annotated bibliography 40 Paper presentation 10 Individual conference and outline of proposed work 15 Writing workshop (including oral summary of proposal) 10 Grant proposal 80 Written evaluations 10 pts each) 40 Sum 230 Other Activities Handouts, pre- and post-labs, etc. 85 Lecture participation 15 Sum 100 Grand total 1000 I wish you lots of success this semester! I am here to help you master course material & concepts and the associated scientific skills, so please don t hesitate to ask questions! Page 6

7 Animal Behavior Bio472 Spring 2014 Course Schedule (subject to change) Week Date Lecture Topic Reading Lab Activity 1 22-Jan Principles of Animal Behavior Ch 1 24-Jan Paper Discussion: Testing Alternative Hypotheses primary literature 2 27-Jan Evolution of Behavior Ch 2 29-Jan Evolution of Behavior Ch 2 + pages Jan Paper Discussion: Heritability of behavior primary literature 3 3-Feb Proximate Factors Ch 3 + Ch 4 5-Feb Proximate Factors Ch 3 + Vandenberg (2003) 7-Feb Paper Discussion: Hormones and Behavior primary literature 4 10-Feb Learning Ch 5 + Ch 6 (can omit p ) 12-Feb EXAM REVIEW Feb Learning Brenow itz & Beecher (2005) 5 17-Feb Sexual Selection Ch7 19-Feb Sexual Selection Ch 7 + page Feb Paper Discussion: Sexual selection primary literature 6 24-Feb Sexual Selection Ch 7 26-Feb Mating Systems Ch 8 28-Feb Paper Discussion: Mating systems primary literature 7 3-Mar Mating Systems Ch 8 5-Mar Kinship Ch 9 7-Mar Paper Discussion: Indirect (kin-selected) fitness primary literature 8 10-Mar Kinship Ch 9 12-Mar EXAM REVIEW Mar Anti-predatory behavior Ch Mar SPRING BREAK Mar Foraging Ch Mar Foraging Ch Mar Paper Discussion: Optimal foraging theory primary literature Mar Cooperation Ch 10 2-Apr Cooperation Ch 10 4-Apr Paper Discussion: Cooperation primary literature 12 7-Apr Aggression Ch 15 9-Apr Aggression Ch Apr Paper Discussion: Game theory models of aggression primary literature Apr Applied Animal Behavior - guest lecture Apr EXAM REVIEW Apr Communication Ch Apr Paper Discussion: Signal theory primary literature 23-Apr Behavioral Syndromes Ch 17 + Sih et al. (2004) 25-Apr Behavioral Syndromes Ch 17 + Sih et al. (2004) Apr Paper Discussion: human-induced change primary literature 30-Apr Behavioral Genetics - guest lecture May Mini-Exam & Paper Analysis May PRACTICE ZOO TALK (Mon Lab) May PRACTICE ZOO TALK (Tues Lab) --- FINAL 12-May Presentation to PDZA Staf f! --no lab-- How to Observe Animal Behavior Pt Def iance Zoo Trip Zoo Project Discussion Mate Copying Using Jw atcher Foraging Behavior Zoo Practice Visit & Logistics Paper Presentations Grant Dissection OPEN LAB Individual Conferences (i.e., mostly an OPEN LAB) Grant Writing Workshop (oral summaries and complete draft of grant proposal required) OPEN LAB Statistics and Poster-making Workshop Zoo Talk Prep Zoo Talk Prep Grant Review Panel

8 Bio 472 Course schedule Important dates associated with the development of your research proposal week date assignment / event 2 Lab: 27 or 28 Jan Articles of Interest due 3 Lab: 03 or 04 Feb Questions & Theory due 5 Lab: 17 or 18 Feb Hypotheses & Predictions due 7 Lab: 03 or 04 Mar Paper Presentations Annotated Bibliography due 10 Lab: 24 or 25 Mar Individual Conferences w ith Stacey "Proposed Work" outline due 11 Lab: 31 Mar or 01 Apr Grant w riting w orkshop: Oral summary of proposal Full draft of proposal due 12 Lab: 07 or 08 Apr Grant Proposal due 16 Lab: 05 or 06 May Written Peer Evaluations due Important dates associated with the zoo study week date assignment / event 3 Lab: 03 or 04 Feb Zoo trip! Yeah! 4 Lab: 10 or 11 Feb Project preproposal due Lab discussion 6 Lab: 24 or 25 Feb Zoo logistics / ethogram construction 6-12 TBD Data collection! So cool! 13 Lab: 14 or 15 Apr Stats & poster-making w orkshop 14 Lab: 21 or 22 Apr Abstract and Poster due 16 Lecture: 05 or 07 May Practice zoo talk to peers FINALS 12 May at noon Presentation to zoo staf f Other important dates week date & time assignment / event 4 Wednesday 12 Feb, 6-8pm Exam 1 8 Wednesday 12 Mar, 6-8pm Exam 2 13 Wednesday 16 Apr, 6-8pm Exam 3 15 Friday 02 May, in lecture Mini-Exam & Paper Analysis Guidelines for assignments are posted on Moodle Page 2