Advanced Animal Behaviour Course

Institution UK Open Learning
Method Distance
Type Courses
Course fee By request

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Advanced Animal Behaviour Course

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.