About this course

The course gives an introduction to basic terms and topics within behavioural ecology, in particular foraging ecology, predation, competition for resources, group living, sexual selection, parental investment, mating systems, sex allocation, altruism, cooperation, communication, signals and human behavioural ecology. Central questions are the costs and benefits of different behavioural strategies, how natural selection on behaviour has enabled animals to become adapted to their environment, and how hypotheses for the evolution of various behavioural traits in animals can be tested.

Learning outcome

A candidate with fulfilled qualifications should have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge:

The student should have knowledge about basic evolutionary theories for the interpretation of animal behaviour as an adaptation to the environment.

Skills:

The student should be able to formulate hypotheses explaining behavioural patterns in an evolutionary perspective, make predictions from these hypotheses, and thereby outline how these hypotheses may be tested.

General competense:

The student should be familiar with evolutionary thinking in explaining animal behaviour, and thereby be able to understand ongoing research within behavioural ecology and disseminate hypotheses in behavioural ecology to the general public.

  • Learning activities

    The teaching takes place in the following ways:

    1) The content of the course is presented to the students through lectures (two hours lecturing per chapter in the textbook).

    2) The students are trained in formulating the professional content of the course through compulsory group work on predetermined questions. The students are divided into groups, and each group is given a room to work in. The students are given a list of questions and shall work on these questions during the 12 hours assigned for this group activity. A teacher visits each group several times for supervising. Each group shall hand in a written answer to a predetermined selection of the questions. The answers are evaluated by the teacher, and must be passed in order to be approved.

  • Teaching support

    The student´s learning is supported through academic supervision in the hours assigned for group exercises, and in the teachers' office hours.

  • Syllabus

    Davies, N. B., Krebs, J. R. - West, S. A. 2012. An introduction to behavioural ecology. 4th edition. Wiley-Blackwell.

    Handout about human behavioural ecology.

  • Prerequisites

    ZOOL100 and ECOL100 or ECOL200

  • Recommended prerequisites

    ZOOL210.

  • Assessment method

    The exam consists of a written test (3 hrs) that counts 100% of the final grade.

    One written exam Karakterregel: Letter grades Hjelpemiddel: A1 No calculator, no other aids

  • About use of AI

    Written exam: K1 - No use of AI

    Colloquium assignments: K2 - For the submitted colloquium papers, it is not permitted to use AI-based tools to generate text. However, it is permitted to use AI tools for spelling or to improve linguistic formulations. All use of AI must be specified. Discussion and idea development must take place in collaboration with fellow students and not AI.

    Descriptions of AI-category codes.

  • Examiner scheme

    An external sensor grades the written answers from the exam in knowledge and understanding.

  • Mandatory activity

    Submission of exercises in discussion groups. The exercise is evaluated by the teachers, and must be passed in order to be approved.

  • Notes

    The course can be taken at several other learning institutions in Norway, and at a number of learning institutions abroad.

  • Teaching hours

    Lectures: 24 hours. Exercises in discussion groups: 12 hours.

  • Admission requirements

    Special requirements in Science