Ethology

The course aims to provide students with knowledge on the functions and evolution of the main behaviors of animals under natural conditions, with special reference to the species-specific evolutionary history and the role played by the interaction between genes and environment on the development of behavioral traits. The course also aims to provide knowledge on scientific methods necessary for processing behavioral data, as well as for designing and executing a behavioral study both in a natural and laboratory context.

At the end of the course, the student will acquire:
knowledge of the role of animal behavior under an eco-evolutionary perspective;
knowledge of the appropriate scientific terminology of the discipline;
the ability to understand and critically discuss the main topics of behavioral ecology reported in the specialist scientific literature.