2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

BIOL 308 Animal Behavior (Lec/Lab)

A study of mechanisms and evolution of animal behavior. Examples will be drawn from a taxonomically diverse assemblage of animals, and labs will include field and lab-based studies.

Credits

3/1

Prerequisite

BIOL 150 or EESC 160

Offered

Fall, odd years.

Outcomes

  1. Explain what is meant by proximate and ultimate causes of behavior
  2. Describe how genes, environment and development influence behavior
  3. Describe current concepts in animal behavior, including animal communication, feeding behavior, mating systems and sexual selection, and the evolution of social behavior
  4. Discuss and critique the ideas of other scientists (scientific literacy)
  5. Develop a testable hypothesis and associated predictions
  6. Design appropriate sampling methods
  7. analyze and interpret data
  8. present findings clearly and concisely