PSYC 420 : Animal Behavior

This course covers the topic of animal behavior - how animals interact with each other, with other living beings, and with their environment.  Both proximate causes of behavior and ultimate causes of behavior will be covered.  Special emphasis will be given to developing experimental design, data collection techniques, and hypothesis testing.  Topics to be covered include: natural selection and adaptive change; hypothesis testing; ecology of feeding and antipredatory strategies; habitat use and competition for resources; sexual selection and the ecology of mating and parenting strategies; the ecology of social behavior; evolution of cooperation and altruism; ecological constraints on communication; and sociobiology.  3 Theory 1 Lab. Lab fee.  (Also taught as BIOL 420)