Università Roma Tre

Cultural skills (Knowledge of:)
The course offers the conceptual bases for (A) understanding the biological bases of behaviour (B) understanding behaviour as an emergent property of the organism (C) an evolutionary approach to the study of behaviour.
Methodological skills (Knowing how to perform:)
Acquiring the critical thinking through readings and discussions, in order to correctly evaluate a research hypothesis, choose research tools and interpret results.

SYLLABUS
Ethology: historical outline. Classic and operant conditioning. The three Nobel awards, founders of modern ethology: K. Lorenz, K. Von Frisch, and N. Tinbergen. Sociobiology and behavioral ecology. The evolutionary approach to the study of behaviour. Levels of analysis in the study of behaviour: questions on “how” and “why”. The study of causation and ontogenesis (proximate causes), survival value and evolution (ultimate causes).
(1) Behavioural control. Exogenous factors and endogenous factors. Sensory filtering. Stimuli and signals. Fixed action patterns, evocative stimuli, innate triggering mechanism. Biorhythms. The biological clock. The hormonal state. The behavioural decision: the motivation. Spatial orientation. Compasses. The olfactory map.
(2) Ontogenesis of behaviour. Role of genes and the environment. Pre- and postnatal ontogenesis. Behavioural endocrinology. The interactive theory of development, the organisational-activational hypothesis: development organisation, sexualisation of the brain, neural activation. Pre and post-natal learning. Imprinting and hormonal control of imprinting. Non-associative, associative, and complex learning. Behavioural control: nervous system and hormonal system.
(3) The adaptive value of behaviour. The comparative approach to the study of behaviour. Signal evolution and communication. Communication: definitions, honest communication and deception. Ritualisation. Natural and artificial selection. Strains, hybridisation and behaviour. Behavioural characters and strategies. Optimal strategies and evolutionarily stable strategies. Predatory and anti-predatory strategies: the arms race. Mimicry. Reproductive and social behaviour. Optimal strategies, fitness and reproductive success. Sexuality and innovation. Darwininan and post-Darwinian sexual selection: intersexual selection and intrasexual competition pre- and post- copulation. Sexual selection and sexual dimorphism. Conflict strategies between sexes. Parental investment. Mating systems and social life. Sociality and group life: costs and benefits of socializing; the kin selection; altruism and evolution. Game theory.

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS:
- Alcock, J. 2007. Etologia, un approccio evolutivo. Zanichelli
- Manning, A. e Stamp Dawkins, M. 2003. Il comportamento animale. Bollati Boringhieri.
- Krebs J.R. e Davies N.B. 2002. Ecologia e comportamento animale. Bollati Boringhieri

TEXTBOOKS FOR FURTHER READINGS:
- Bolhuis, J.J. & Giraldeau, l. 2005. The behavior of animals: mechanisms, function and evolution.
- Campan, R. & Scapini, F. 2004. Etologia. Zanichelli
- Nelson, N.J. 2002. An introduction to behavioral endocrinology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland
- Andersson, M 1994. Sexual selection. Princeton University Press
- Mainardi, D. 1992. Dizionario di etologia. Einaudi
- Martin, P. & Bateson, P. 2003. La misurazione del comportamento. Una guida introduttiva. Liguori editore

All textbooks can be found in the library

Students are provided with a document that lists for each lesson topic which textbook and which chapters are most relevant for the study, and for each topic it lists recent scientific papers for further study. Students are also provided with PDFs of lessons and of scientific papers suggested.

The professor receives every day from 9.00 to 10.00 by appointment via email: monica.carosi@uniroma3.it