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= Welcome to the Animal Behavior class website!! =

1. Syllabus

2. Homework #1 September 14, 2012 Journal response: read this NYT article and write a single paragraph to summarize this article. [|Horse gene to pace]

Chapter 1: Scientific study of animal behavior
Lecture note

2. Homework #2 September 19, 2012 Watch this short video (if you cannot open the attached wmv file, you can go to the following link to watch it

[]

a. describe what you have observed, b. come up with one question (proximate or ultimate) based on your observations c. propose one or more hypotheses based on the question you ask d. design an (or more) experiment to test the hypotheses you proposed.

media type="file" key="Murmuration_of_Starlings.wmv" width="300" height="300"

Chapter 2. Innate and learned behavior
Homework #3. Read this article and write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize this article. This article is relatively long, please give yourself enough time reading it over 1-2 times.



There will be a reading quiz (short and easy) on Friday's class.

Lecture notes

Quiz#1 (covers Chapter 1 & 2): September 28, Friday.

Chapter 3. Dispersal, Migration, and Navigation
Homework #4 Please read this article and write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize this article. Think of a few questions for class discussion.

[|Magnetic field in humans]


 * Lecture note **



Chapter 4. Foraging behavior
Homework #5 This is a very short article, please read it and write 1-2 paragraphs. Let me know if you want to present this article and lead the discussion in class (powerpoint or not). This is a very easy one to present.



Homework #6 Please read this article, write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize this article, and let me know if you would like to present it.




 * Lecture note **

Here is the reading assignment for Friday. Any volunteer to present this article will be great!
[|The fattest ape]

2. Reading quiz




Homework #9: Please read this article and write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize it. Zoe will present!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/09/02/of-voles-and-men-exploring-the-genetics-of-commitment/

Homework #10: Please read both two articles first, then choose one of the articles and write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize it. Crystal will present it!
1. Fatherhood leads drop testosterone. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/health/research/13testosterone.html 2. The pregnant brain as a revving race car. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=pregnant-brain-as-racecar

Quiz #3. (Sexual selection and mating system) November 21, Wednesday. Lecture notes are posted above.
Just read about this....Dolphins found with gunshot wounds, cuts, and jaws missing

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dolphins-found-gulf-mexico-gunshot-wounds-cuts-jaws-missing-article-1.1203990

Homework #11: Please read this article, and write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize it and provide your own thoughts. Volunteer ?
1. Why fathers really matter? (try to understand the concept of epigenetics in this article) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/opinion/sunday/why-fathers-really-matter.html?emc=eta1

Chapter 9. Social behavior
Homework #12: Please read the following THREE SHORT articles, and write 1-2 paragraphs about these studies and your thoughts. Is there any contradictory result among these three independent studies? 1. Good to be the number 2. 2. Good to be the top one. 3. Good to be the nice one.

Homework #13: Please read the article, and write a paragraph to explain, in your own words, what is ensocial animal? [|Introduction to eusociality]

Chapter 10. Animal cognition
Homework #14. Please read this article, at least __the first 4 pages__, and answer this question: "What animal behavior suggests conscious thinking and why?"



The last journal response of 2012!! please read this article "Animal Personality" and summarize it.




After you watched the film about fox domestication on Friday's class,
Please read this related article, and write 1-2 paragraphs to summarize this article.





Lecture notes






Lecture note: Evolution of human behavior


__ Animal Behavior news __ Bronx zoo welcomes baby gibbon [|Bronx zoo baby gibbon] Peacock spider [|Peacock spider] Lobsters/crabs feel pain [|Lobsters feel pain boiling]