BI3AB7-Selected Topics in Animal Behaviour

Module Provider: School of Biological Sciences
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites: BI1AB1 Animal Behaviour
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Prof Richard Sibly
Email: r.m.sibly@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

To be able to research, discuss, and write scientific reviews of selected areas of behavioural ecology

Aims:

To be able to research, discuss, and write scientific reviews of selected areas of behavioural ecology

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module it is expected that the student will be able to:

• describe and discuss critically the state of current research in selected areas, citing key references where necessary

• research and present structured critical reviews

Additional outcomes:

The module will also provide students with an opportunity to develop their written and oral presentational skills during small group seminars.

Outline content:

To understand behavioural ecology it is necessary to understand how life histories evolve. After an introduction describing current understanding of this process, the framework of evolutionary life-history theory is used to tackle selected topics in behavioural ecology. These may include Selfishness and Altruism; Mate Choice; The Evolution of Eusociality; Agent-based Models of Animal Behaviour and Animal Cognition.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Lectures introduce important research questions and set the scene, but students are challenged to seek answers to unresolved questions and to obtain perspective by reading scientific papers reporting important field studies. In the second half of the course, students research and present seminars covering a range of topical issues.

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Two-hour examination

Summative ass