Advanced Animal Behaviour Course - Distance

Comments about Advanced Animal Behaviour Course - Online

• Objectives
  On completion of the course, students will be able to appreciate the evolution and physiology of behaviour, and understand some practical techniques used in behavioural analysis.
• Entry requirements
  To enable student to complete this course they must have done either done a level 2 course in animal behaviour or have been working with animals.
• Course description
  
  Module 1 Objectives
  
  Lesson 1
  

  • To appreciate that the nervous system provides an interface between the nerve cells that detect and the nerve cells that respond.
  • To understand that electrical signals are used by the nervous system.
  • To comprehend the simplest form resembling nervous activity are cells that exhibit irritability.
  • To understand that the nerve net is another key stage in nervous system evolution.
  • To appreciate that nerve net arrangements are still used in areas of the vertebrate nervous systems.
  • To understand that radially symmetrical nervous systems provided initial symmetry in nervous system design
  • To appreciate that the bilaterally symmetrical nervous system allowed for brain development and was therefore a key development in nervous system evolution.

  
  Lesson 2
  

  • To appreciate that a nerve impulse involves positive ions entering a cell.
  • To understand the principle components of the entire vertebrate nervous system.
  • To comprehend the principle of the summation as nervous activity manifesting as behaviour.
  • To understand the roles of the principle components of the nervous system.   

  
  Lesson 3
  

  • To appreciate the processing of vision as an example of how the vertebrate brain processes information.
  • To comprehend the two primary evolutionary lines regarding vision.
  • To understand the superposition eye as an adaptation to low light conditions.
  • To appreciate the apposition eye as been adapted to an illuminated environment.
  • To appreciate the relative attributes of the compound and vertebrate eye.
  • To understand the presence of peripheral filters in the visual processing of some species.
  • To appreciate the extent to which different areas of the brain are used for processing.

  
  Module 2 Objectives
  
  Lesson 4
  

  • To understand why brains are needed.
  • To comprehend that there is a basic vertebrate brain embryo layout from which all vertebrates evolve.
  • To appreciate that there are three primary brain sub-divisions in the vertebrate brain.
  • To appreciate the basic roles of the Prosencephalon, Mesencephalon and Rhombencephalon respectively.
  • To understand the evolution of complex brains and appreciate examples of factors encouraging such evolution.

  
  Lesson 5
  

  • To appreciate Hamiltons theory regarding selfish behaviour.
  • To understand how kin selection explains some aspects of altruism.
  • To appreciate that there are several (perhaps interlocking) theories as to how animals recognise kin.
  • To comprehend how some aspects of kin altruism, are exploited by animals.
  • To appreciate that non-kin altruism can occur.
  • To understand how altruism can evolve.

  
  Lesson 6
  

  • To appreciate anisogamy as an influence on the limiting factors for male and female reproductive success.
  • To understand the Batemen effect as an extension of anisogamy.
  • To comprehend the difference between and the consequences of intersexual and intrasexual selection respectively.
  • To understand the concept of sequential assessment in intrasexual rivalry.
  • To appreciate that game theory can help to explain how intrasexual competition has developed.
  • To understand Fisher’s theory on intersexual selection and how Zahavi’s handicap principle.
  • To comprehend the reality of the two intersexual theories and how they may co-exist.
  • To appreciate that sperm competition can also be a component in reproductive success.

  
  Module 3 Objectives
  
  Lesson 9
  

  • Appreciate that ecological constraints are a major influence upon the breeding strategy employed.
  • To understand and know examples of how breeding systems can be categorised by the sex that dominates.
  • To be able to understand what monogamy is.
  • To appreciate the ecological factors that influences the prevalence of monogamy.
  • To understand the term polygyny.
  • To appreciate what ecological factors influence the prevalence of polygyny.
  • To understand that evolutionary constraints can be a factor in reproduction and that such constraints inevitably overlap with physiological and ecological constraints.
  • To understand the various theories regarding why one sex abandons another with a brood.

  
  Lesson 10
  

  • To appreciat e why scientists sometimes think of animals as ‘acting optimally’.  
  • To understand that the gain in foraging within one patch decreases with time.
  • To comprehend the phrase ‘risk sensitivity’.
  • To understand that different groups of animals have different priorities in foraging.

  
  Lesson 11
  

  • Appreciate that ethologists used various categories in which to record behaviour.
  • Understand the term ethogram.
  • Appreciate the value of an ethogram by creating one.

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