Bi8130 Ethology

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
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
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
1. History and methods of studying the animal behaviour 2. Coordination schemes, motivation-stimulus-response 3. Nature and nurture, appetitive behaviour, releasing mechanisms, consummatory act, conflict situations 4. Specific behaviour patterns 5. Behaviour rhythms 6. Animal communication 7. Learning - play behaviour, imprinting, habituation, associative learning (conditioning), insight 8. Sociobiology
Learning outcomes
- to propose etological research and to utilize adequate methods; - to describe the course of full instinctive behaviour; - to classify behaviour elements into specific functional behaviour; - to analyze periodicity of animal behaviour and biorytmhs; - to determine the forms of animal communication; - to identify species - specific use and importance of various types of behaviour
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.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • VESELOVSKÝ, Zdeněk. Etologie : biologie chování zvířat. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2005, 407 s. ISBN 9788020016218. info
  • GAISLER, Jiří. Úvod do etologie. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1989, 148 s. info
    not specified
  • 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
  • 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
Teaching methods
Lectures.
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
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 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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