BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
Explore how organisms make decisions and how these decisions affect their survival. These decisions are key aspects of an organism's life, e.g. foraging behavior, mating behavior, anti-predator behavior, and habitat selection. Approaches these questions with the perspective that understanding the proximal and ultimate basis of behavior requires understanding the ecological and evolutionary context of behavior.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 152 , ( ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 and BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 ), or ( BIOCORE 381 and 382 ) Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness Breadth - Biological Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Use facts to guide conceptual thinking and hypothesis tests about organismal behavior. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Draw upon aspects of evolution and ecology to develop an integrative perspective on organisms' behavior. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Interpret graphical models of animal behavior and graphs of empirical data. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Summarize research in the key focal area of behavioral ecology, including optional diet models, optimal patch use, anti-predator behavior, communication and mate selection. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Synthesize findings from primary scientific literature. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Develop an understanding of how behavioral ecology informs contemporary ecological issues such as conservation and invasive species. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Use facts to guide conceptual thinking and hypothesis tests about organismal behavior. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Draw upon aspects of evolution and ecology to develop an integrative perspective on organisms' behavior. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Interpret graphical models of animal behavior and graphs of empirical data. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Summarize research in the key focal area of behavioral ecology, including optional diet models, optimal patch use, anti-predator behavior, communication and mate selection. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Synthesize findings from primary scientific literature. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Develop an understanding of how behavioral ecology informs contemporary ecological issues such as conservation and invasive species. Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027