Module Information
Course Delivery
Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
---|---|
Lecture | 3 x 1 hour lectures per week |
Seminars / Tutorials | 5 x 2 hour seminars/tutorials/workshops |
Assessment
Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
---|---|---|
Semester Assessment | Literature Review | 20% |
Semester Assessment | Presentation | 10% |
Semester Exam | 3 Hours | 70% |
Supplementary Assessment | Resubmission of failed coursework or alternative | 30% |
Supplementary Exam | 3 Hours | 70% |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, students will have covered sufficient material in lectures, tutorials, research seminars and in their recommended reading to enable them to
- describe critically and coherently the importance of behavioural biology in contemporary scientific and lay society
- interpret accurately the findings and limitations, and be able to summarise efficiently, the results of published studies
- identify future research areas and the potential for collaboration with other branches of science.
Aims
This module will use a combination of lectures, tutorial sessions and research seminars provided by internal and external speakers to provide students with a critical knowledge of topics in behavioural biology that are of importance in contemporary science. The course will emphasise the growing collaborations between behavioral science and other disciplines. A key aim of the course will be to train students in accurately and critically interpreting the results of behavioural studies.
Content
The module will include research topics of current importance in behavioural biology. Recent topics have included: Male & female effects on the evolution of sperm competition; Ontogeny and the role of the brain in behaviour. The role of behavioural studies in determining the success of habitat restoration and conservation programmes. The role of pollutants on individual behaviour, fitness and population stability. How and why parasite infections alter host behaviour. The evolution of signalling systems (e.g. birdsong). Insights into behaviour gained from technology, including DNA fingerprinting, molecular biology, neurobiology and artificial intelligence. How the welfare of animals in domestic / entertainment environments may be realistically improved using knowledge gained from behavioural studies. Behavioural knowledge as a tool in disease control and pest management. The influence of art on behavioural biology and vice versa. The importance of critically appraising the findings and accurately reporting the results of scientific studies.
Reading List
General TextDanchin, Etienne. (2008.) Behavioural ecology /Etienne Danchin, Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Frank C ezilly. Oxford University Press Primo search Recommended Consultation
Arends, Bergit (Oct. 2003) Experiment:Conversations in Art and Science Wellcome Trust, The Primo search Birkhead, Tim R. (Oct. 2008) Sperm Biology:An Evolutionary Perspective Academic Press [Imprint] Primo search Catchpole, Clive. (2008.) Bird song :biological themes and variations /C.K. Catchpole, P.J.B. Slater ; pen-and-ink illustrations by Nigel Mann. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press Primo search Moore, Janice. (2002.) Parasites and the behavior of animals /Janice Moore. Oxford University Press Primo search Odling-Smee, F. John (2003.) Niche construction :the neglected process in evolution /F. John Odling-Smee, Kevin N. Laland, and Marcus W. Feldman. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/samples/prin031/2002031747.html Princeton University Press Consult For Futher Information
Cobb, Matthew. (2006.) The egg & sperm race :the seventeenth-century scientists who unlocked the secrets of sex, life, and growth /Matthew Cobb. Free Press Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6