Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Docente: Maria Vallisneri
  • Credits: 4
  • SSD: BIO/05
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Natural Sciences (cod. 8016)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student has the scientific method of study and the basic knowledge of animal behavior relationship with the evolutionary process and the environmental adaptations.

Course contents

1) Behavior: definition, evolutionary and adaptive meaning, the scientific method to study causes, cause distant and cause remote.
2) The gene-environment interaction: the innate (instinctive) behavior and the learned behavior, the "imprinting", the development of behavior: bird singing, addiction, conditioned conditioning or conditioned reflection, operating conditioning or learning for attempts and mistakes, the game.
3) The ecology of behavior: adaptations, costs and benefits, defense against predators: mimicry, animal synchronism with cyclical environmental changes: circadian rhythm, lunar cycle, biological clock.
4) Choose where to live: territory, habitat, migration.
5) Food behavior: optimum forage.
6) Reproductive behavior: sexual selection, partner choice, courtship, bridal systems: polygamy, polyandry, monogamy, parental care.
7) Social behavior: the advantages and disadvantages of social and solitary life, dominance divisions, communication: visual, acoustic, tactile, electrical, chemical (feromonic) signals; The Society of Insects: dance of mulberry bees, agonistic or conflicting behavior, behavior of "mobbing", deception behavior, "selfish" and "altruistic" behaviors.
8) Cognitive abilities: imitating animals and culturing animals, cultural transmission.

Readings/Bibliography

-Alcock J.“Etologia un approccio evolutivo,” Ed. Zanichelli 2007

-Krebs J. R. & Davies N. "Ecologia e comportamento animale", Ed. Bollati - Boringhieri 2016

-Sadava D., Hillis D.M., Heller H.C., Berenbaum M.R. "Biologia-vol. 5 La biologia degli animali, vol. 6 L'ecologia". Zanichelli 2014

-Brooker R.J., Widmaier E.P., Graham L.E., Stiling P.D."Biologia-volume 6 Ecologia", McGraw-Hill 2011

Teaching methods

Lectures with projection of PP and scientific films.

Assessment methods

written test

Teaching tools

computer projector

Office hours

See the website of Maria Vallisneri