| Instructor: | Catalina Castell du Payrat | Office: | B 8261 |
| Phone: | 291-4462 | ||
| Email: | catalina_castell@sfu.ca |
Co-requisite: BISC 304 or permission of the instructor
Description:
This course will introduce you to the study of animal behaviour. We will explore a wide range of behaviours, studying their proximate (how) and ultimate (why) causes, the role of the environment in their development, and their evolutionary significance. We will also put some emphasis on the observations, questions and hypotheses used to study behaviour.
Major topics will include feeding, anti-predator, reproductive, and social behaviours, including some aspects of human behaviour. Geographical variation in those behavioural traits and their value in evolutionary studies will also be considered.
Students are expected to complete an individual project. This project will be presented orally in tutorial and as a scientific paper. More details about the project will be given during the first week of classes.
Textbook:
Alcock, John. 2001. Animal Behaviour: An Evolutionary Approach.
7th ed. Sunderland MA: Sinauer Associates.
Grading:
| Final exam | 40% |
| Project | 35% |
| Midterm | 20% |
| Tutorial | 5% |
