Why do organisms (from bacteria to humans) behave as we do? In this course, we will focus on the proximate and ultimate causes of behaviour, how behaviour evolves and how researchers can study behaviour with both classical and modern methods. The class will involve mostly lectures but also some interactive exercises to allow us to better visualize social behaviours such as conflict, cooperation and collective behaviours. As behaviour can be understood and studied at many scales, the course will touch upon neuroscience, biochemistry, chemical ecology, evolutionary biology, ecology and the physics of behaviour.
The course will take place over 8 sessions (~1h45 each). The grade will come from a report and a written (45 minutes) exam during the semester (1 mark)
Primary Professor: Prof. Adria LeBoeuf
Assistants: Dr. Matteo Negroni, Dr. Sanja Hakala
Dates of course:
21 Sept 2022 I. Introduction and Overview
28 Sept 2022 II. Studying behaviour (Matteo Negroni)
5 Oct 2022 III. Building behaviour: Neurobiology of behaviour
12 Oct 2022 IV. Building behaviour: Genes of behaviour
19 Oct 2022 V. Building behaviour: Social and collective behaviour
26 Oct 2022 VI. Building behaviour: Evolution of behaviour
2 Nov 2022 VII. Impacts of behaviour on ecology and communities (Sanja Hakala)
9 Nov 2022 Exam + reports- Enseignant·e: Sanja Maria Hakala
- Enseignant·e: Adria Leboeuf