In this course we will first investigate the mechanisms of behavior--how do animals behave the way they do? We'll then spend the bulk of the semester exploring the ecology and evolution of behavior--why do animals behave the way they do? In lab, we will use hands-on activities to complement material from class, and you'll gain first-hand research experience when you design and conduct your own animal behavior study. Lab.

Evolutionary biology is about uncovering the past, understanding the present, and predicting the future of animals, plants, and microbes. Is also offers insight into how scientific ideas change through time. This course covers natural selection and adaptation, phylogeny, population genetics and structure, origins and extinction of species, domestication, and evolutionary medicine. Additional topics may include human evolution and evolutionary impacts, biogeography, and social evolution, as well as the intersections between evolution, ecology and development.

What's the best way to deter an elephant from raiding crops? Is it with chili peppers? Bees? This is one example from the new interdisciplinary field of "conservation behavior," which uses the study of animal behavior to inform how we manage wildlife populations. This course targets students well-versed in either animal behavior or wildlife ecology who wish to learn more about the other side. We will focus heavily on reading, writing, discussion, and career preparation.

Working under the direction of a faculty sponsor, the student plans and carries out independent research resulting in a written thesis. Limited to students entering their senior year; required for students in the honors program or working toward honors-in-major. A two-semester sequence. 2-4 credits each semester. IA (continuous grading) given at the end of the first semester.