BIOL 357 - Backyard Behavior Capstone

Institution:

Case Western Reserve University

Subject:

Description:

Interesting animal behavior is all around us. We need not go into a laboratory to observe it, but laboratory tools can help to understand the behaviors that we encounter every day. We interact with animals in our homes, in forests and wilderness areas and even in our own backyards. As pet dogs or cats interact with wild squirrels and birds, they provide insights regarding predation, neuromechanics, and mating behaviors, just to list a few concepts. This course takes advantage of the rich behavior that exists around us to provide a capstone experience for students who have an interest in animal behavior. The course will be open to 10 senior Biology majors who have emphasized the animal behavior and neurobiology courses offered by the Biology department. Each student will have taken at least one advanced course in Animal Behavior, Neurobiology, or Neuroethology. Entry into the course will be by permit, and permits will be issued only after an interview in which each student demonstrates to the instructor a deep interest in animal behavior and underlying neural control systems. Through classroom discussion, viewing of behaviorally-based video shows, and field trips, each student will choose one behavior to investigate in detail over the course of the semester. In order to move beyond casual observation to in-depth analysis, video cameras will be available to the students, as well as computer based motion analysis systems. The class will meet as a group twice weekly. During this formal classroom period, students will discuss behaviors in general and , as the course progresses, the specific topics that each student is investigating. They will present journal articles that are relevant to their topics, a prospectus on their intended study, and ultimately describe their projects outside of class time and will present a poster at a public poster fair. Prereq: BIOL 305 or BIOL 318 or BIOL 358 or BIOL 373 or BIOL 374.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.case.edu

Phone Number:

(216) 368-2000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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