Instructor: Gary Ritchison
Office: Moore 237
Office phone: 622-1541
E-mail: gary.ritchison@eku.edu

Text: Krebs, J. R. and N. B. Davies. 1993. An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology, 3rd ed. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Cambridge, MA.

Lecture notes:
 

Other reading material: You'll be responsible for material in the review papers written by your classmates (1st graduate students papers on Exams 2 and 3 & the remaining papers on Exam 4).

Course objective: To better understand how particular behavior patterns contribute to an animal's chances of survival and its reproductive success

Course requirements and grading:

• EXAMS: There will be three 75-pt exams plus a 100-pt final exam. About one-third of the final will consist of questions taken from the first three exams. Exams will consist of essay questions. Questions will be over lecture material, text (see review questions for: Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, & Final Exam), handouts, videos, & student papers (which will be posted on the class website). Click here to see an example of the format of a typical test. For Exam 2, you're responsible for knowing the answers to the questions provided in the following student papers (pdf format):

• Barbara Kieffer - Do animals play and is there a benefit from play?
• Debbie Jones - Natal dispersal in birds and mammals


For Exam 3, you're responsible for knowing the answers to the questions provided in the following papers:
 

• Chris Distel - Can infanticide be adaptive?
• Jodi Stacy - Mate desertion
• Aimee Wilson - Death feigning: an adaptive, anti-predator defense
• Ryan Dunbar - The evolution of alarm calling

• PAPERS: Each graduate student will write 2 papers and each undergraduate 1 paper. These papers will address current topics in behavioral ecology, should be five pages (double-spaced; font size 11 or 12; 1 inch margins) in length (not including the literature cited), and will be worth 35 pts. each. Papers will be evaluated based on content, organization, and quality of writing (in that order). The first paper written by graduate students plus the paper written by undergraduate students may be revised and resubmitted. Although I will suggest some possible topics (click here), you may certainly come up with your own ideas (just check with me before you start writing). No more than one student per topic (first come, first served). Papers will be due on Feb. 19 (1st graduate student paper) and March 30 (undergraduate student paper plus 2nd graduate student paper). I'd like 2 versions of each paper: a hard-copy plus an electronic copy (either provided as an attachment to an e-mail or on a diskette).

• ORAL PRESENTATIONS: Each graduate student will make two and each undergraduate one oral presentation(s) based on the papers that you write. Undergraduate student presentations should be 15 min in duration & will be worth 25 pts., while graduate student presentations should be 20 min in duration & worth 35 pts (each). For all presentations, you will be evaluated based on the quality of material presented, the manner of presentation, how well the material is organized (with duration being an important measure of organization), and use & quality of visual aids (check the evaluation form). The first student presentations will be on February 24.

• CONTRIBUTIONS TO LECTURE:
• Because the lecture notes are available online, I expect you to be familiar with the material that's going to be covered each time we meet. You should come to lecture prepared to discuss the material, not just to listen to me explain it to you! Questions are, of course, encouraged. However, you should also share your thoughts about particular topics. For example, your point of view may be somewhat different than mine and that of others in class because of your particular research or coursework background and your greater familiarity with particular species or groups of organisms. So, class participation is expected. Of course, 'participation' and, particularly, 'quality participation' is difficult to quantify. What I'll do, at the end of the semester, is assign each of you a 'participation grade' based on the frequency and quality of your participation and, based on those grades, assign points. I reserve the right to assign + or - grades also (e.g., B+ may equal 35 pts). Feel free to ask me at any time where you stand (i.e., what grade I'd assign if today was the end of the semester). Here are the 'grades':
• F = rarely, if ever, contributed  (0 points)
• D = occasional participation, but generally non-substantive, adding little new information (10  pts)
• C = occasional participation, but generally well thought out, useful contributions (20 pts)
• B = regular participation, sometimes useful, sometimes not (30 pts)
• A = regular participation, usually useful  (40 pts)

• In addition, each student (both graduate and undergraduate) will make two (2) contributions to the lecture notes. These contributions will be in the form of material that I will add to the lecture notes already online. For example, I often use published papers to show how various ideas have been tested or to help illustrate particular points. So, if you're interested in foraging behavior, you could search the recent literature to find a study where an investigator has examined the effect of predation risk on some organism's foraging behavior. You could then summarize the important results of that paper (as I do in my lecture notes), get that information to me, & I'll add it to my notes (giving you credit for the contribution, of course). You can also provide new material. That is, my notes, obviously, do not cover every topic that could potentially be covered in a course entitled 'Behavioral Ecology.' For example, my lecture material concerning territorial behavior omits mention of why some animals may not defend territories. Why do some individuals become 'floaters' rather than territory holders? You could provide a brief summary of this topic (e.g., What is a 'floater?', In what groups has such behavior been reported?, What are the results of a recent study where such behavior has been studied?) for inclusion on the 'Territorial Behavior' web page. So, look over my notes &, based on your interests and a review of recent, relevant literature, come up with some ideas for 'lecture contributions.' Let me know what your good idea(s) is(are) and, if I concur, you can prepare your contribution. You must, of course, get such contributions to me, at minimum, 5 days before the material is going to be covered in lecture so I can add it to the website. Each contribution will be worth up to 25 points. Points for each contribution will be assigned based on its quality. If submitted well in advance, I'll be happy to let you know my thoughts on the (point) value of a particular contribution and, if it's not what you expected or hoped for, you can revise the contribution and resubmit (again, as long as I get the revised version at least 5 days before the anticipated date of use or coverage). So, the two lecture contributions will be worth up to 50 points.

And for undergraduate students:

Mid-term grade: Your grade at mid-term will be provided with your score on Exam 2.

Attendance policy: Attendance is only required on exam days and days on which oral presentations are scheduled. Those absent with no legitimate reason on the dates of oral presentations will be penalized 5% of their total points at the end of the semester. Please, if possible, see me in advance if you must be absent on dates when attendance is required.

Disability Statement: If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please make an appointment with the course instructor to discuss any academic accommodations you need. If you need academic accommodations and are not registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please contact the Office directly either in person on the first floor of the Turley House or by telephone at (859) 622-1500 V/TTY. Upon individual request, this syllabus can be made available in alternative forms.

Useful links:

• Resources available - EKU library
• Guidelines for oral presentations
• Glossary of terms used in Behavioral Ecology, Animal Behavior, and Evolution

Back to Gary Ritchison's Homepage