Lecture outline
                  Lecture outline
     1. Introduction to course (schedule, 
      1. Introduction to course (schedule, 
          policies, etc…)
          policies, etc…)
     2. Four categories of questions 
      2. Four categories of questions 
          addressed in animal behavior studies
          addressed in animal behavior studies
     3. Origins of animal behavior as a 
      3. Origins of animal behavior as a 
          field of study
          field of study
     4. The Ethological approach
      4. The Ethological approach
         • Review:  Principles of Evolution
             Review:  Principles of Evolution
         • Ethological methods
             Ethological methods
         • Key concepts in ethology
             Key concepts in ethology
                                     
                                     
      Four categories of questions 
      Four categories of questions 
            (Niko Tinbergen, 1963)
            (Niko Tinbergen, 1963)
     What are the mechanisms that 
       What are the mechanisms that 
       cause a behavior?
       cause a behavior?
     How does a particular behavior 
       How does a particular behavior 
       develop (within the individual’s 
       develop (within the individual’s 
       lifetime)?
       lifetime)?
     What is its survival value? (current)
       What is its survival value? (current)
        What’s the “working hypothesis”?  Is it necessarily 
          What’s the “working hypothesis”?  Is it necessarily 
          true?
          true?
     Why did it evolve? (past)
       Why did it evolve? (past)
                                     
                                     
      Origin of animal behavior as 
      Origin of animal behavior as 
                    a field of study
                    a field of study
     Ethology
        Ethology
        Evolutionary perspective
           Evolutionary perspective
        Primarily field-based
           Primarily field-based
        Wide range of animals studied
           Wide range of animals studied
     Psychology
        Psychology
        Mechanistic/Developmental perspective
           Mechanistic/Developmental perspective
        Primarily lab-based
           Primarily lab-based
        Focused primarily on mammals
           Focused primarily on mammals
                                     
                                     
              Ethology:  Review of 
               Ethology:  Review of 
            Principles of Evolution
             Principles of Evolution
     Evolution:  Change in the frequency 
        Evolution:  Change in the frequency 
        of alleles /genotypes in the 
        of alleles /genotypes in the 
        population over time (>1 generation)
        population over time (>1 generation)
     Adaptation:  A phenotypic trait that 
        Adaptation:  A phenotypic trait that 
        helps an individual survive/reproduce
        helps an individual survive/reproduce
     Genotype vs. phenotype:  What is 
        Genotype vs. phenotype:  What is 
        the difference?
        the difference?
                                     
                                     
              Ethology:  Review of 
               Ethology:  Review of 
            Principles of Evolution 
             Principles of Evolution 
                             (cont.)
                              (cont.)
     Natural selection:  Differential reproduction 
       Natural selection:  Differential reproduction 
       of genotypes leads to persistence of those 
       of genotypes leads to persistence of those 
       genotypes that enable an individual to 
       genotypes that enable an individual to 
       survive/reproduce most effectively.
       survive/reproduce most effectively.
        Example: Change in antibiotic resistance of the 
          Example: Change in antibiotic resistance of the 
          tuberculosis bacterium.
          tuberculosis bacterium.
     Only traits that are variable and 
       Only traits that are variable and 
       inheritable are subject to natural selection.
       inheritable are subject to natural selection.
        Example:  Rabbit camouflage
          Example:  Rabbit camouflage
     Where does variability come from?
       Where does variability come from?