1. Natural selection, environment and behaviour.
2. The comparative approach.
3. Economic trade-offs.
4. Spatial behaviour.
5. Fighting and assessment.
6. Predators versus prey.
7. Sexual selection and intrersexual conflict.
8. Parental care and mating systems.
9. Alternative reproductive strategies.
10. Social behaviour.
R Krebs e NB Davies "Ecologia e comportamento animale", Boringhieri, 2002
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Ethological terminology;
Theories about evolution of behavior as a function of environmental determinants and social influences.
Competences acquired
To frame the diversity of behavioural processes in a socioecological perspective.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course): ability to evaluate how environmental factors and social context contribute to shape observed behaviour
Prerequisites
Courses required: none
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course: 150
Hours reserved to private study and other indivual formative activities: 102
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 48
Type of Assessment
Oral examination.
Course program
1. Natural selection, environment and behaviour. Studies by Lack and Perrins. Clutch size and survival.
2. The comparative approach. Historical and experimental studies on adaptation.
3. Economic trade-offs. The marginal value theorem. The economics of prey choice. Optimality models.
4. Spatial behaviour. Habitat selection. Dispersal and inbreeding. Ideal free distribution.Territorial behaviour. Economics of territorial behaviour.
5. Fighting and assessment. Competition for resources. Asymmetric conflicts. Game theory. Hawks and doves. Evolutionary stable strategies (ESS). Alternative strategies. Information transmission about strength or intentions.
6. Predators versus prey. Criptic and batesian mimicry. Prey predator communication. Group dimension and antipredatory defence. Costs and benefits of social defence. Dilution effect. Brood parasitism.
7. Sexual selection and intrersexual conflict. Parental investment. Intrasexual competition. Sexual selection. Genetic and non genetic benefits. Female and male choice. The role of ornaments (Andersson). Runaway selection. Handicap hypothesis.
8. Parental care and mating systems. Constrints on parental care. Origin of uniparental case. Mating systems: from poligamy to monogamy. Poliginy threshold (Orians).
9. Alternative reproductive strategies. Why alternative strategies? Alternative strategies in evolutionary equilibrium.
10. Social behaviour. Selfishness and altruism. Kin selection. Hamilton law. Cooperation and alarm calls. Kin recognition. Mutualism. Reciprocity. Prisoner’s dilemma. Cooperation and helping in birds. Altruism in the social insects.