Lesson 10 - Behavioral Ecology

Introduction
 
"Studies involving various animals conclude that genetics (nature) plays a role in behavior. Other studies show that learning (nuture) is also involved in behavior.The principles of evolution apply to social behavior. When animals live in groups, the benefits must outweigh the costs, or the behavior would not exist. Animals that live in social groups communicate with one another by signalling."
 
Getting Started "All animals, including humans, behave-they respond to stimuli, both from the physical environment and from other individuals of the same or different species. Behaviorists are scientists that seek answers to two types of questions: What is the neurophysiological mechanism of a behavior, and how is the behavior beneficial to the organism?"


Focus on Learning
 
Use the course competencies listed below to focus your learning and use the lesson objectives to sharpen that focus.
 
Competencies By the end of the lesson , you should be able to:

  1. Identify and analyze the basic principles of ecology.
 
Objectives

To master the competencies, you should seek to understand how:

  1. Both innate and learned behavior can be adaptive.
  2. Reproductive behavior can also be adaptive.
  3. Social behavior can increase fitness.
  4. Modes of communication vary with the environment.


Reading Assignments
 
Reading Assignment Reading is a very important component of an internet course. Read the assigned pages from your textbook before proceeding to the Activities, Study Help, and Assessment Sections.
 
Textbook Read the Assignment in Mader Concepts of Biology Textbook:
Behavioral Ecology: Chapter 37


Activities
 
Complete the Animation Activities. Feel free to open your book and notes as you work on them. The information in these activities is very helpful when completing the Animation Quiz that follows.
 
Animations
Complete the Animation Activities by Clicking the Links Below:
Animation Activity 1 - Sex and Senses
Animation Activity 2 - Flirting Flies
Animation Activity 3 - Honeybee Dance
Animation Activity 4 - Honeybee Dance Experiment
 
Complete the Virtual Lab Activity. Feel free to open your books and notes as you work on it. Complete the activity by reading the instructions, performing the lab exercise, downloading the post lab quiz and report and filling it out. Be sure to complete and print out the data table embedded in each lab exercise. The information in this lab activity is very helpful when completing the Virtual Lab Quiz and Worksheet that follow.
 
Virtual Lab
Complete the Virtual Lab Activity by Clicking the Link Below:
Virtual Lab Activity: Mealworm Behavior


Study Help

 
It's time to review and practice what you have learned from your reading and instruction activities. Slide presentations, Chapter Outlines, Flashcards, and Student Learning Outcomes are provided to help you study. Feel free to open your book and notes as you use them.
 
Slide Presentation
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Textbook Reading Folder, click into the Reading Review Slide Presentation Folder, and click the Slide Presentation Link:
Slide Presentation - Chapter 37 Mader Web Presentation
 
Practice Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Textbook Reading Folder, and click the Reading Practice Quiz Link:
Reading Practice Quiz - Chapter 37


Assessing Your Learning

 
It's time to assess what you have learned from your reading and instruction activities. The following reading, animation, virtual lab, and essay quizzes are graded assignments. Feel free to open your book and notes as you work on them. Be sure to submit your work as you complete it. Good luck!
 
Reading Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Textbook Reading Folder, and click the Reading Quiz Link:
Reading Quiz - Chapter 37
 
Animation Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Animations Folder, and click the Animation Quiz Link:
Animation Quiz - 10
 
Virtual Lab Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Virtual Lab Folder, and click on Virtual Lab Quiz Links:
Virtual Lab Quiz and Worksheet - 10
 
Essay Quiz
Log-in to BlackBoard, navigate to the Essay Quiz Folder, and click on the Essay Link:
Essay Quiz - 10



Related Web Sites

 
Here is a website that I like. Click the icon to pursue this topic on the internet:

Have You Met The Objectives For This Lesson?