Behavioural ecology -W 1400-226EB-W
I. Topics of behavioural ecology. Ethology and behavioural ecology. History of behavioural research. Signalling, behaviour and intelligence of plants. Animals as model organisms in behavioural ecology. Neurobiological and hormonal basis of behaviour. Perception of environment (vision, sight, mechanoreception, chemoreception, magnetoreception). II. Behavioural genetics and evolutiojn of behaviour. III. Genotype x environment interaction in the evolution of behaviour. Nature versus nurture debate. IV. Rhytmic behaviours, biological clock in behaviour. V. Communication in intraspecific and interspecific interactions. Sounds, visual repertoire, chemical signalling. Evolution of communication. VI. Evolution of cooperation and altruism. Prisonners dilemma. Tit-for-tat strategy. Evolution of eusociality. VII. Motion, navigation, dispersal and homing. VIII. Individual and economic decisions. Optimisation of behaviour. Optimal foraging (diet choice, patch exploitation). IX. Sexual selection and handicap principle. Good genes hypothesis. X. Reproduction and sexual conflict. Families, poligyny, poliandry, change of sex. XII. Animal behaviour in captivity and zoological gardens. Animal welfare.
Type of course
elective courses
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course student:
KNOWLEDGE
1. Understands the complexity of processes and phenomena in nature, the solution of which requires an interdisciplinary approach, based on empirical data (K_W01 B2)
2. Understands mutual body-environment relations using hypotheses on temporal and spatial determinants of behavioral diversity of animals (K_W04 B2)
3. Knows the specialized concepts of ecological and ethological terminology (K_W06 B2)
4. Recognizes the need for advanced statistical methods to describe and analyze behavioral data (K_W08 B2)
5. Knows a variety of techniques and research tools used in biological sciences and plans to use them appropriately to solve his tasks (K_W10 B2)
6. Knows the specialized methods and techniques of conducting field observations of animal behavior (K_W11 B2)
7. Knows the rules of planning research and experiments using specialized methods used in behavioral research (K_W13 B2)
SKILLS
1. Selects and applies research techniques and tools relevant to behavioral ecology (K_U01 B2)
2. Uses scientific and popular science texts in his mother tongue and in English (K_U03 B2)
3. Is able to find in the professional literature the probable causes of the failure of experiments and modify the course of experiment respectively (K_U05 B2)
Uses adequate statistical methods to describe phenomena and analyze behavioral data (K_U06 B2)
4. Is able to independently analyze the results obtained in experiments and to properly interpret tehm (K_U02 OS1, K_02 BI2, K_U08 BI2)
6. Is able to critically evaluate the selected biological problem on the basis of the literature and the results of his own research, formulating his own opinions and conclusions (K_U08 B2)
COMPETENCES
Feels the need to constantly improve and update knowledge using scientific and popular science sources on ecology and ethology (K_K07 B2)
Assessment criteria
Written exam
Bibliography
Mackenzie A i in. Krótkie wykłady - Ekologia. PWN 2000, 2003
Krebs J.R, Davies N. B. Wprowadzenie do ekologii behawioralnej. PWN 2001
Krebs J. CH. – Ekologia, Eksperymentalna analiza rozmieszczenia i liczebności. PWN 2011
Also recommended:
Alcock J .- Animal behaviour: an evolutionary approach. Sinauer Associates, Inc.2001
Additional information
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