CURRENT TOPICS IN
BIOLOGY—BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
50.489 / 50.589
Fall 2004
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Instructor: |
Marianna D. Wood |
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103
Hartline |
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office
hours- |
Monday |
10:00 |
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11:00 |
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Tuesday |
3:00 |
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5:00 |
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Wednesday |
10:00 |
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12:00 |
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office
phone- 389-4666 |
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e-mail-
mwood@bloomu.edu |
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website-
http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/mwood |
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Course Description:
Current Topics in Biology is seminar course that will acquaint you with a current area of biological research through reading and discussing the research literature. It is a vehicle for you to assimilate and analyze research literature and to offer the analysis in oral presentations.
Research in behavioral ecology examines the ecological and evolutionary basis of animal behavior. It combines theoretical models with field studies and lab work to understand behavior.
SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
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31 August |
ecological and evolutionary
approaches to animal behavior |
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7 September |
perception of the environment |
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Cochran, WW, H Mouritsen, and M
Wikelski. 2004. Migrating songbirds recalibrate their magnetic compass daily
from twilight cues. Science 304:405-408. |
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Danchin, É, L Giraldeau, TJ Valone,
and RH Wagner. 2004. Public information: from nosy neighbors to cultural
evolution. Science 305:487-491. |
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Tso, I, C Lin, and E Yang. 2004.
Colourful orb-weaving spiders, Nephila
pilipes, through a
bee's eyes. Journal of Experimental Biology 207:2631-2637. PDF at http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/207/15/2631.pdf |
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14 September |
foraging |
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Alexander, RM. 2002. The merits and
implications of travel by swimming, flight and running for animals of
different sizes. Integrative and Comparative Biology 42:1060-1064. PDF at ProQuest go to November 2002 issue, then article
beginning on page 1060 |
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Portha, S, J Deneuborg, and C
Detrain. 2004. How food type and brood influence foraging decisions of Lasius niger scouts. Animal Behaviour
68:115-122. PDF at ScienceDirect go to July 2004 issue, then article
beginning on page 115 |
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Ruxton, GD, and DC Houston. 2004.
Obligate vertebrate scavengers must be large soaring fliers. Journal of
Theoretical Biology 228:431-436. |
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21 September |
food caching |
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Clayton, NS, KS Yu, and A Dickinson.
2003. Interacting cache memories: evidence for flexible memory use by western
scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica).
Journal of Experimental Psychology/ Animal Behavior Processes 29:14-22. PDF
available at PsycARTICLES |
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Gerber, LR, OJ Reichman, and J
Roughgarden. 2004. Food hoarding: future value in optimal foraging decisions.
Ecological Modelling 175:77-85. |
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Tsurim, I and Z Abramsky.
2004. The effect of travel costs on food hoarding in gerbils. Journal of
Mammalogy 85:67-71. PDF at ProQuest go to February 2004 issue, then article
beginning on page 259 |
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28 September |
signaling, communication, and
recognition |
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Bergstrom, CT and M Lachmann. 2001.
Alarm calls as costly signals of antipredator vigilance: the watchful babbler
game. Animal Behaviour 61:535-543. |
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Bradbury, JW, and SK Vehrencamp.
2000. Economic models of animal communication. Animal Behaviour. 59:259-268. |
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Joseph, SB, WE Snyder, and AJ
Moore. 1999. Cannibalizing Harmonia
axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) larvae use endogenous cues to avoid
eating relatives. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 12:792-797. PDF at Academic
Search Premier |
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5 October |
aggression and appeasement |
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Dubois, F, and L Giraldeau. 2003.
The forager's dilemma: food sharing and food defense as risk-sensitive
foraging options. The American Naturalist 162:768-779. PDF at Academic
Search Premier |
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Mesterton-Gibbons, M and ES Adams.
2003. Landmarks in territory partitioning: a strategically stable convention?
The American Naturalist 161:685-697. PDF at Academic
Search Premier |
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Sapolsky, RM, and LJ Share. 2004. A pacific culture among wild baboons: its emergence and transmission. Public Library of Science 2:e106. synopsis, article, and commentary at Public Library of Science |
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12 October |
parasites, predators, and behavior |
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Hugie, DM. 2004. A waiting game
between the black-bellied plover and its fiddler crab prey. Animal Behaviour
67:823-831. PDF at Science
Direct go to May 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 823 |
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Langmore, NE, S Hunt, and RM
Kilner. 2003. Escalation of a coevolutionary arms race through host rejection
of brood parasitic young. Nature 422:157-160. PDF at Academic
Search Premier |
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Seppälä, O, A Karvonen, and E
Tellervo Valtonen. 2004. Parasite-induced change in host behaviour and
susceptibility to predation in an eye fluke–fish interaction. Animal
Behaviour 68:257-263. PDF at Science
Direct go to August 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 257 |
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19 October |
mid-term exam |
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26 October |
mating systems and alternative
breeding strategies |
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Moczek, AP, and DJ Emlen. 2000.
Male horn dimorphism in the scarab beetle, Onthophagus taurus: Do alternative reproductive tactics favour
alternative phenotypes? Animal Behaviour 59:459-466. |
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Semsar, K, and J Godwin. 2004.
Multiple mechanisms of phenotype development in the bluehead wrasse. Hormones
and Behavior 45:345-353. PDF at Science
Direct go to May 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 345 |
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Simmons, LW, RC Firman, G Rhoades
and M Peters. 2004. Human sperm competition: testis size, sperm production
and rates of extrapair copulations. Animal Behaviour 68:297-302. PDF at Science
Direct go to August 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 297 |
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2 November |
sex ratios, sex allocation, and
parental care |
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Dickinson, JL. 2004. Facultative
sex ratio adjustment by western bluebird mothers with stay-at-home
helpers-at-the-nest. Animal Behaviour 68:373-380. PDF at Science
Direct go to August 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 373 |
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Lahdenperä, M, V Lummaa, S Helle, M
Tremblay, and AF Russell. 2004. Fitness benefits of prolonged
post-reproductive lifespan in women. Nature 428:178-181. |
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Senar, JC, J Figuerola, and J
Pascual. 2002. Brighter yellow blue tits make better parents. Proceedings of
the Royal Society of London B 269:257-261. |
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9 November |
sexual conflict and sexual
selection |
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Jones, AG, and JC Avise. 2001.
Mating systems and sexual selection in male-pregnant pipefishes and
seahorses: insights from microsatellite-based studies of maternity. Journal
of Heredity 92:150-158. PDF at Ingenta; search on the author’s name and publication
title to find the article |
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Ramos, M, DJ Irschick, and TE
Christensonz. 2004. Overcoming an evolutionary conflict: removal of a
reproductive organ greatly increases locomotor performance. Proceedings of
the |
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Roberts, ML, KL Buchanan, and MR
Evans. 2004. Testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis: a review of
the evidence. Animal Behaviour 68:227-239. PDF at Science
Direct go to August 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 227 |
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16 November |
selfishness and cooperation |
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Hauert, C, and M Doebeli. 2004.
Spatial structure often inhibits the evolution of cooperation in the
snowdrift game. Nature 428:643-646 AND |
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Sachs, JL, UG Mueller, TP Wilcox,
and JJ Bull. 2004. The evolution of cooperation. Quarterly Review of Biology
79:135-160. PDF at Academic
Search Premier |
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23 November |
social organization and sociality |
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Pomara, LY, RJ Cooper, LJ Petit,
and PC Stouffer. 2003. Mixed-species flocking and foraging behavior of four Neotropical warblers in Panamanian shade coffee fields
and forests. Auk 120:1000-1012. PDF at Academic
Search Premier |
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Russell, AF, AA Carlson, GM
McIlrath, NR Jordan, T Clutton-Brock, and R |
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Vucetich, JA, RO Peterson, and TA
Waite. 2004. Raven scavenging favours group foraging in wolves. Animal
Behaviour 67:1117-1126. PDF at Science
Direct go to June 2004 issue, then article beginning on page 1117 |
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30 November |
eusociality |
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Lopez-Vaamonde, C, JW Koning, RM
Brown, WC Jordan, and AFG Bourke. 2004. Social parasitism by male-producing
reproductive workers in a eusocial insect. Nature 430:557-560. |
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Thorne, BL, NL Breisch, and ML Muscedere.
2003. Evolution of eusociality and the soldier caste in termites: Influence
of intraspecific competition and accelerated inheritance. Proceedings of the |
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Tsuchida, K, T Saigo, N Nagata, S
Tsujita, K Takeuchi, S Miyan, B Husband, and J Mallet. 2003. Queen-worker
conflicts over male production and sex allocation in a primitively eusocial
wasp. Evolution 57:2365-2372. |
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7 December |
behavioral ecology and conservation |
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Cooke, SJ and DP Philipp.
2004. Behavior and mortality of caught-and-released bonefish (Albula spp.) in Bahamian waters with implications for a sustainable
recreational fishery. Biological Conservation 118:599-607. |
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Lourenço, SI, and JM
Palmeirim. 2004. Influence of temperature in roost selection by Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Chiroptera): relevance
for the design of bat boxes. Biological Conservation 119:237-243. |
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Nowacek, SM, RS Wells, ECG Owen, TR
Speakman, RO Flamm, and DP Nowacek. 2004. |
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14 December |
final exam |
Course Evaluation (Graduate):
Your course grade will be based on the following components—
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weekly
participation (14 x 15) |
210 |
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discussion
leading (3 x 30) |
90 |
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review
paper |
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topic and
three citations |
10 |
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final
paper |
90 |
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midterm
exam |
100 |
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final exam |
150 |
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total |
650 |
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Your points earned will be converted to a letter grade using the following scale—
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605-650 |
A |
501-519 |
C+ |
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585-604 |
A- |
475-500 |
C |
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566-584 |
B+ |
455-474 |
C- |
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540-565 |
B |
436-454 |
D+ |
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520-539 |
B- |
390-435 |
D |
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<390 |
E |
Weekly Participation
Behavioral Ecology is a seminar course. Regular attendance and participation by all students are necessary for the class to be successful. To allow meaningful participation, you must come to class prepared to discuss the evening's topic in depth.
Your participation grade will include your pre-class study of the reading assignments, your contribution to your team’s discussion of the papers, and your participation in the discussion and activities of the whole class. You will be given feedback on the quality of your participation four times during the semester.
Discussion Leading
You will be responsible for planning and leading the discussion of three of the assigned papers during the semester. For each paper, you must create a study guide and make it available one week before the paper is discussed. You are also responsible for leading the discussion of those papers during class.
Review
Paper
You will prepare a review paper on a selected topic in behavioral ecology. You should read at least 160 pages on your topic. The topic and three citations are due on 29 September and the completed paper is due on 7 December.
Mid-term and Final Exams
There will be two in-class exams, a mid-term and a final. The final exam will conform to University policy and be comprehensive. Both exams will consist of a selection of short to moderate-length essays.
Course Evaluation (Undergraduate):
Your course grade will be based on the following components—
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weekly
participation (14 x 15) |
210 |
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discussion
leading (1 x 30) |
30 |
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review
paper |
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topic and
three citations |
10 |
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final
paper |
90 |
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midterm
exam |
100 |
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final exam |
150 |
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total |
590 |
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Your points earned will be converted to a letter grade using the following scale—
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549-590 |
A |
454-471 |
C+ |
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531-548 |
A- |
431-453 |
C |
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513-530 |
B+ |
413-430 |
C- |
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490-512 |
B |
395-412 |
D+ |
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472-489 |
B- |
354-394 |
D |
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<354 |
E |
Weekly Participation
Behavioral Ecology is a seminar course. Regular attendance and participation by all students are necessary for the class to be successful. To allow meaningful participation, you must come to class prepared to discuss the evening's topic in depth.
Your participation grade will include your pre-class study of the reading assignments, your contribution to your team’s discussion of the papers, and your participation in the discussion and activities of the whole class. You will be given feedback on the quality of your participation four times during the semester.
Discussion Leading
You will be responsible for planning and leading the discussion of one of the assigned papers during the semester. For the selected paper, you must create a study guide and make it available one week before the paper is discussed. You are also responsible for leading the discussion of that paper during class.
Review
Paper
You will prepare a review paper on a selected topic in behavioral ecology. You should read at least 120 pages on your topic. The topic and three citations are due on 29 September and the completed paper is due on 7 December.
Mid-term and Final Exams
There will be two in-class exams, a mid-term and a final. The final exam will conform to University policy and be comprehensive. Both exams will consist of a selection of short to moderate-length essays.