Schedule¶

Daily schedule of classroom sessions.
Complete homework (listed in the Assignments column) before class starts on that day.
The Pages column contains links to materials we will use during class that day and are not part of the homework.

Mondays are marked by bold font.
non-class days are marked by italices.

In-class peer work due to Gradescope by 11PM each Friday (scribe completes for the group). Group work assessments provided via this link each week by 11PM Friday (manager completes for the group).

Date	Topic	Assignments	In-Class Page(s)
Jan 30	Welcome and Introduction	none	Welcome; Syllabus; Tinbergen’s Four Analyses; Groups
Feb 1	Components	Konrad Lorenz Here am I. Where are You? (1988) pg 82-89	Components: day 1
Feb 6	Components	Konrad Lorenz Here am I. Where are You? (1988) pg 89-102 (summarize for yourself: ritualization, superimposition, learning); Tinbergen 1952 The Curious Behavior of the Stickleback. Scientific American (1952) pg 22-24*	Components: day 2
Feb 8	Observation	Complete the data analysis and questions on Stickleback aggression from last class; Complete the question about stickleback action specific potential from last class; Read this editorial about Margaret Morse; Watch this video and name&define 3-5 distinct behaviors that you observe	Observation
Feb 13	Analysis	Altmann 1973 Sampling Methods Focus your attention on understanding continuous versus interval and scan versus focal methods (so sections V and IX) because these are the methods we will implement in class. The Introduction (I) and Sampling Variables (II) sections discuss concepts we have already touched on in class so are good to read for review. For all other sections, I would recommend skimming them enough to get a sense of the method (enough to write a one sentence summary/reminder for future you that comes back to the document for reference). This paper is a heavily used and cited reference for sampling methods in animal behavior research overall.	Analysis
Feb 15	Phylogeny	Meerkat activity budget analysis from last class	Phylogeny: day 1
Feb 17	Exam released	Part 1 (Components of Behavior, Observation, and Analysis)	Components of Behavior, Observation, and Analysis
Feb 20	Phylogeny	TBD	Phylogeny: day 2
Feb 22	Evolution	Complete the phylogeny of behavior assignment from last class; Come prepared with responses to your exploration of this natural selection simulation	Evolution: day 1
Feb 24	Exam DUE	Part 1 (Components of Behavior, Observation, and Analysis) Due by 11pm	Components of Behavior, Observation, and Analysis
Feb 27	Evolution	Alcock and Rubenstein text pg 183-184; P.M. Meire, A. Ervynck (1986) Are oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) selecting the most profitable mussels (Mytilus edulis)?, Animal Behaviour 34(5)	Evolution: day 2
March 1	Neural	Huberman Podcast: Understanding and Controlling Aggression; Please fill out this anonymous midterm-ish feedback survey	Neural: Day 1
March 3	Exam released	Part 2 (Phylogeny and Evolution)	Summative Assessment
March 6	Neural	review Konrad Lorenz Here am I. Where are You? (1988) pg 83-88 if you need a refresher; Ronacher, B. Innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns: basic ethological concepts as drivers for neuroethological studies on acoustic communication in Orthoptera. J Comp Physiol A 205, 33–50 (2019) stopping at the section that starts with “Exploring innate releasing mechanisms” on pg 37; If you have not already, please fill out this anonymous midterm-ish feedback survey	Neural: Day 2
March 8	Hormonal	The Fantastical World Of Hormones With Dr John Wass	Hormonal Mechanisms
March 10	Exam DUE	Part 2 (Phylogeny and Evolution) Due by 11pm	Summative Assessment
March 11-26	Spring Break
March 27	Genetic	Nature and Nurture Podcast: EP11 - Social Behavior of Rodents with Dr. Hopi Hoekstra (minutes 0-10 address Hoekstra’s genetic basis of behavior work more directly and you can stop at 10min if you want, then she talks more about general culture of lab and science and work-life balance)	Genetic Mechanisms
March 29	Endogenous Rhythms	Levy et al (2021) Lifelong exposure to artificial light at night impacts stridulation and locomotion activity patterns in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Proc R Soc B, 288, Sections: *Abstract, Introduction, Methods(a) Rearing Conditions, Figure 2, Results(d) Artificial light at night elicited three types of activity patterns, Figure 5, and Discussion.	Endogenous Rhythms
April 3	Development	The Animal Behavior Podcast, S2E6: Karen Warkentin on Treefrogs, Phenotypic Plasticity, and Linking Gender & Sexuality Studies with Biology (the first half is the discussion of research); The Animal Behavior Podcast, S2E3: Swanne Gordon on Evolution of Polymorphism and Diversity in Biological Sciences (the first half is the discussion of research)	Development
April 5	Navigation	Lohmann, K., & Lohmann, C. (1996). Orientation and open-sea navigation in sea turtles. The Journal of experimental biology, 199(Pt 1), 73–81.	Navigation
April 7	Exam released	Part 3 (Neural, Hormonal, Genetic, and Development)	Summative Assessment
April 10	Escape	Jun Liu, Monika Scholz (2020) Neural Circuits: Turning away from danger eLife 9:e59910; Catania K. C. (2011). The brain and behavior of the tentacled snake. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1225, 83–89.	Escape
April 12	Communication - proximate	The Animal Behavior Podcast, S2E4: Jesse Goldberg on Neurobiology and Vocal Learning in Song Birds	Communication: Proximate
April 14	Exam DUE	Part 3 (Neural, Hormonal, Genetic, and Development) Due by 11pm	Summative Assessment
April 17	Communication - ultimate	The Animal Behavior Podcast, S2E2: Tamra Mendelson on Signal Evolution and Processing Bias	Communication: Ultimate
April 19	Social Spectrum - Grouping and Cooperation	The Animal Behavior Podcast, S2E7: Gerry Carter on Animal Cooperation and Incentive Structures in Academia	Grouping and Cooperation
April 24	Social Spectrum - Eusociality and Altruism	Common Descent: Episode 111 Eusociality (from minute ~39 to ~120)	Eusociality
April 26	Sexual Selection	Common Descent Podcast E63: Sexual Selection (from minute ~36-106)	Sexual Selection
May 1	Family Life: Mating Systems	The Animal Behavior Podcast, S2E5: Nora H. Prior on Social Interactions - Linking Brain and Behavior; Young et al (1999) Increased affiliative response to vasopressin in mice expressing the V1a receptor from a monogamous vole. 400(6746):766-8	Mating Systems
May 3	Family Life: Parental Care	The Science of Love from Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin; Bendesky, A., Kwon, YM., Lassance, JM. et al. The genetic basis of parental care evolution in monogamous mice. Nature 544, 434–439 (2017) (we will focus on this one more in class); Lotem, A. Learning to recognize nestlings is maladaptive for cuckoo Cuculus canorus hosts. Nature 362, 743–745 (1993). (we will focus on this one less in class)	Parental Care
May 4	Exam released	Part 4 (Understanding Behavior)	Summative Assessment
May 8	Bring your capstone drafts to class	Capstone
May 10	Bring your capstone drafts to class	Capstone
May 10	Exam DUE	Part 4 (Understanding Behavior) Due by 11pm	Summative Assessment
May 16	Capstone DUE		Capstone

May 11-15 Reading Period May 16-19 Final Exam Period

Comparative Animal Behavior

Schedule

Schedule¶