Teacher(s)
Language
English
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with the concepts taught in the following courses:
- LBIO1112 Biologie des organismes : plantes et animaux ;
- LBIO1116 Démarche scientifique en biologie
- LBIO1117 Ecologie I
Main themes
This course is for students who wish to discover or deepen their knowledge about animal behaviour.
The diversity of animal behaviour is an inexhaustible source of fascination. First, we present this scientific field also called ethology, its concepts and methods. During the sessions, the students will address issues related to the use of space, the exploitation of food resources and the development of social interactions between individuals. Communication methods and functions will be discussed, as well as reproduction and parental behaviours. Students will also learn the importance of cognitive processes, including the mechanisms of learning, and the importance of personality in animal behaviour. The importance of different rhythms on behaviour will be highlighted by the study of chronobiology.
The diversity of animal behaviour is an inexhaustible source of fascination. First, we present this scientific field also called ethology, its concepts and methods. During the sessions, the students will address issues related to the use of space, the exploitation of food resources and the development of social interactions between individuals. Communication methods and functions will be discussed, as well as reproduction and parental behaviours. Students will also learn the importance of cognitive processes, including the mechanisms of learning, and the importance of personality in animal behaviour. The importance of different rhythms on behaviour will be highlighted by the study of chronobiology.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
|
|
Content
The course will be divided into approximately nine topics:
History, Concepts, Ethology
General introduction to the development of modern-day research on animal behavior, natural selection and ethology
Innate & learned behavior.
Understanding the genetic basis of behavioral traits, and how animals adjust their behavior in response to the environment.
Survival Behavior (Habitat selection)
Understanding how animals choose where to live, understand the costs and benefits of migration and territoriality.
Survival Behavior (Predator avoidance)
Understanding the costs and benefits of performing anti-predator behavior.
Survival Behavior (Foraging behaviour)
Understanding optimal foraging behavior, game theory and general feeding behavior.
Communication
An introduction to the various ways animals send signals to each other, and how these signals are influenced by the environment and social context.
Reproduction
An introduction to the complexities of finding a mate, competing for mates and rearing offspring.
(Eu-)Social behavior
Understanding the costs and benefits of living in groups.
Chronobiology
An introduction to how light n earth influences animal behavior.
History, Concepts, Ethology
General introduction to the development of modern-day research on animal behavior, natural selection and ethology
Innate & learned behavior.
Understanding the genetic basis of behavioral traits, and how animals adjust their behavior in response to the environment.
Survival Behavior (Habitat selection)
Understanding how animals choose where to live, understand the costs and benefits of migration and territoriality.
Survival Behavior (Predator avoidance)
Understanding the costs and benefits of performing anti-predator behavior.
Survival Behavior (Foraging behaviour)
Understanding optimal foraging behavior, game theory and general feeding behavior.
Communication
An introduction to the various ways animals send signals to each other, and how these signals are influenced by the environment and social context.
Reproduction
An introduction to the complexities of finding a mate, competing for mates and rearing offspring.
(Eu-)Social behavior
Understanding the costs and benefits of living in groups.
Chronobiology
An introduction to how light n earth influences animal behavior.
Teaching methods
The Animal Behaviour course has two parts.
- The theoretical lectures are interactive PowerPoint presentations.
- The practical sessions include two ethological studies.
- In the first, students analyse videos to build an ethogram.
- In the second, they work on their own in the field at the lake in Louvain-la-Neuve: they observe the behaviour of waterbirds, come up with a question and hypotheses, and then collect and interpret their data.
Evaluation methods
Written exam on the theoretical part (80%): students need a good knowledge of the definitions and concepts from the course. The exam includes definitions to explain, open questions on concepts (sometimes with a table or diagram), applying a theoretical framework to a concrete example, and interpreting figures. Students are also tested on the species covered in the course, for example by identifying a species from a photo and explaining its behaviour.
Oral presentation of the practical work (20%): students present the field study they carried ou
Oral presentation of the practical work (20%): students present the field study they carried ou
Online resources
The presentations and literature will be uploaded on Moodle.
Bibliography
Manuel de support :
Éthologie animale : Une approche biologique du comportement. Anne Sophie Darmaillacq, Frédéric Lévy- deboeck Ed. édition 2019.
Alcock, John, 1942-. Animal Behavior: an Evolutionary Approach. Sunderland, Mass. : Sinauer Publishers, 2009.
Éthologie animale : Une approche biologique du comportement. Anne Sophie Darmaillacq, Frédéric Lévy- deboeck Ed. édition 2019.
Alcock, John, 1942-. Animal Behavior: an Evolutionary Approach. Sunderland, Mass. : Sinauer Publishers, 2009.
Faculty or entity
