Bi8130 Ethology

Faculty of Science
Spring 2014
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Jan Zukal, Dr., MBA (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Jan Zukal, Dr., MBA
Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Jan Zukal, Dr., MBA
Supplier department: Department of Botany and Zoology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 15:00–16:50 B11/306
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
At the end of this course, students should be able to understand and to be able to explain these topics:
History and methods of studying the animal behaviour. Coordination schemes, motivation-stimulus-response, nature and nurture, appetitive behaviour, releasing mechanisms, consummatory act, conflict situations. Behaviour patterns, circadian rhythms, communication. Play behaviour, imprinting, habituation, associative learning (conditioning), insight. Brief information on sociobiology, behavioural ecology and applied ethology.
Syllabus
  • History of studying animal behaviour, physiological, psychological and ethological cues, methods. Patterns of behaviour, behavioural system hierarchical structure, innate (stereotype) and adaptive behaviour, orientation patterns, kinesis, taxis, piloting and navigation. Fixed action patterns, appetence behaviour, consummatory actions, variability and criticism of "instincts". Major behavioural patterns: foraging behaviour and related phenomena, protection and anti-predatory behaviour, care of own body, reproductive behaviour. Social behaviour, animal societies, agonistic behav. and other mechanisms of social integration. Biocommunication, signal structures and functions, major communication channels: chemical (pheromones), tactile-mechanical, acoustic, optic, other; bee dances. Special signalling (echolocation), ritualization of behaviour. Antagonistic motivations, displacement activities. Play and curiosity behaviour, exploration, imprinting, imitation. Associative learning, classical and operant conditioning, trial-and-error learning, insight. Ontogeny a phylogeny of behaviour, traditions, cultural evolution. Rhythmicity of behaviour, circadian and other biorhythms, torpidity, hibernation estivation sleep. Introduction to sociobiology and behav. ecology, modelling. Applied ethology.
Literature
  • DRICKAMER, Lee C., Stephen H. VESSEY and Doug MEIKLE. Animal behavior :mechanisms, ecology, evolution. 4th ed. Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1996, 447 s. ISBN 0-697-13642-6. info
  • FRANCK, Dierk. Etologie. 2. přeprac. a rozš. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 1996, 323 s. ISBN 80-7066-878-4. info
  • GAISLER, Jiří. Úvod do etologie. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1989, 148 s. info
  • Manning A. & Dawkins M. S., 1992: An introduction to animal behaviour. Cambridge Univ. Press, 196 pp.
  • VESELOVSKÝ, Zdeněk. Chováme se jako zvířata? Vyd. 1. Praha: Panorama, 1992, 244 s. ISBN 80-7038-240-6. info
  • Veselovský Z., 2001: Obecná ornitologie. Academia Praha, 357 s.
Teaching methods
Lectures.
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2014, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2014/Bi8130