FIELD ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

FULFILLS:
BIOS 468/868, ACE 10

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: TBA

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Animal behavior is the study of how and why animals do what they do-- e.g., feed, mate, fight, cooperate and raise offspring. The study of animal behavior integrates the study of physiology, cognition, ecology and evolution to understand how organisms cope with their environment, including the social environment. The emphasis in this field course is to study animals in nature, which means that most of the course will take place outside. We will spend the first week talking about the natural history of the area and learning the principles of the study of animal behavior. This week will also involve a crash course in filmmaking (using Adobe Premier), culminating in presentations of your own short films (created in groups) on a class of behaviors of your choosing. Over the following two weeks, students will learn how to collect data from in-depth observations, design and implement small-group research projects, and write up/present the results. The course will focus on a variety of organisms, including birds, insects, amphibians and mammals (depending on weather and availability). After taking this course, students will begin to notice much more about animals in their everyday lives, and understand how field research can provide new insights into our natural world.