Animal Social Behavior
Spring 2018
Tues.,  Fri. 10:00 am - 11:50 am

Betsy Sherman

THIS WEBSITE IS UPDATED FREQUENTLY (so be sure to check it frequently)

Be sure to review evolutionary theory and speciation
    natural selection, genetic drift, founder effect, etc.
    isolating mechanisms
Evolution website at UC Berkeley
    Units of selection    genes, individuals, groups
    Evolution of Social Behavior (from: Goldsmith and Zimmerman)
        part 1 (evolution of altruism)
        part 2 (parent-offspring conflict)
        part 3 (sex ratio adjustment)

Evidence of convergent character displacement in release vocalizations

Assignment due:

This term: QUESTIONS  in ANIMAL SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

Contrasting models for the evolution of social organization:
    fitness of the group vs. fitness of the gene
        models by Wynne-Edwards, Hamilton, Trivers
    
    tests of hypotheses:
        Systems to be examined:
                          -cooperative breeding (experimental evidence-helping; subordinate males; warblers; life history; allomothering-langurs
                               Altruism in Forest Chimpanzees: The Case of Adoption, Helping in cooperatively breeding longtailed tits: a test of Hamilton’s rule
                                Kinship affects investment by helpers in a cooperatively breeding bird
                          -parent-offspring conflict (infanticide in langurs) (is infanticide adaptive?) (non-offspring nursing-cute guys)
                                  hyena info  infanticide and female countertactics
                                  parent-offspring California gull
                                  maternal investment in blue-footed boobies
                                        
                          - siblicide  video of booby siblicide
                                         hatching asynchrony 1
                                         hatching asynchrony 2-parents suppress siblicide
                                         hatching asynchrony 3-Perinatal Androgens and Adult Behavior Vary with nestling social system in siblicidal boobies

                           - mating choice and sexual selection
                                        trait assessment: blue-footed booby 1
                                        trait assessment: blue-footed booby 2
                                         
                            - sex ratio 
                                        maternal investment-macaques
                                         maternal diet-sex ratios-mammals 
                                         sex ratio-seals1
                                         sex ratio-seals2
                                         Local resource vs Trivers/Willard and supplemental material
                                         sex ratio adjustment-deer
                          - sociality (hymenoptera social organization and others)
                                     Evolution of eusociality (from: Goldsmith and Zimmerman)
                                     Conditional manipulation of sex ratios by ant workers
                                     Origin of eusociality-by Wilson and Holldobler (2005)-kin selection doesn't cut it
                                     Kin selection is key to altrusim-by Foster et al (2005)- yes it does
                                     Argument revisited: Altruism-Wilson  2008
                                                                      Altruism-Foster 2008
                                                                      Wilson and Nowak 2010
                                                                      Responses to Wilson and Nowak
                                     Social semantics: altruism, cooperation, mutualism, strong reciprocity and group selection jeb_1258 415..432
                          -   evolution of primate social organization
                                      social bonds-female baboons   female chimps-copulation call 2008
                                      Wild chimpanzees exchange meat for sex
                                      Social components of fitness in primate groups
                                   


Journals for Animal Social Behavior (not an exhaustive list)

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Behavioral Ecology
Animal Behaviour
Evolution
Ecology
Oecologia
Functional Ecology

Birds-Auk, Condor, Wilson Bulletin
Herps and fish-Copeia
Herps-Herpetologica, Journal of Herpetology
Mammals-Journal of Mammalogy

Animals to study:
    frogs
    toads
    salamanders
    tadpoles
    birds
    ducks
    crickets
    chipmunks
    squirrels
    ants
    bees
    spiders
    crayfish
    fish
    fruit flies

Papers for research ideas:
Fish territoriality
Fruit fly mate preferences

kin recognition tadpoles

mate selection in isopods
oxytocin and being nice

kin recognition in zebrafish

sexual dimorphism in dogs

fitness of lizards in aggregations

Images of Eyes Enhance Investments in a Real-Life Public Good
hermit crab competition

Course Requirements (all requirements must be met in order to pass this class): see how to read and facilitate (download this!)
    1-attend all classes, ON TIME, and be well-prepared (take written notes on papers)
    2-walk and observe
    3-read
         assignments
         browse current journals
    4-in class discussion (facilitate and participate and choose papers)
    5-research project: LATE ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED
         By midterm:
                Things to consider during proposal presentation
                checklist for research proposal evaluation due by email as a .doc by April 6, 5:00 pm
         Final work:
                presentation  must be between 12-15 minutes
                poster (instructions)
                paper in format of Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology (instructions) (An adequate paper will require at least 8 pgs of narrative)
                rubric for final report