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Lecturer(s)
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Bureš Stanislav, prof. Ing. CSc.
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Krist Miloš, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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The course aims to explain the evolutionary and ecological principles underlying animal behaviour and their significance for individual survival and reproductive success. Students will become familiar with the proximate and ultimate mechanisms of behaviour, as well as the genetic, physiological, and environmental determinants of behaviour and their interactions. The course introduces both the fundamental and contemporary concepts of behavioural ecology, including the adaptive significance of behaviour, natural and sexual selection, sexual conflict, mating systems, parental investment, kin selection, communication, cooperation, altruism, and evolutionarily stable strategies. It also covers optimal foraging strategies, resource and territory defence, predator-prey interactions, group living, social systems, and animal decision-making. The course also introduces modern directions in behavioural ecology, including behavioural plasticity, consistent individual differences in behaviour (animal personality), social networks, cultural transmission of behaviour, cognitive ecology, movement ecology, and the effects of rapidly changing environments, including urbanisation and climate change, on animal behaviour. A substantial part of the course focuses on research methodology. Students will become familiar with the use of modern technologies (including telemetry, biologging, automated behavioural monitoring, and social network analysis) in the study of animal behaviour, as well as with the principles of hypothesis testing and experimental design. During practical sessions, students will conduct several experiments and evaluate their results in the context of current knowledge in behavioural ecology.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Lecture, Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Group work
- Attendace
- 26 hours per semester
- Preparation for the Exam
- 24 hours per semester
- Semestral Work
- 6 hours per semester
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Learning outcomes
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The aim of the course is to explain: - the role of behaviour in animal reproduction and survival - the principles of designing and conducting behavioural experiments, including the interpretation of the results
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: - explain the evolutionary and ecological principles shaping animal behaviour at both the proximate and ultimate levels - interpret the adaptive significance of behaviour in the context of natural, sexual, and kin selection - analyse the factors influencing mating systems, parental care, cooperation, social organisation, and resource acquisition - apply the concepts of optimal behaviour, evolutionarily stable strategies, and behavioural plasticity - critically evaluate the current scientific literature in behavioural ecology - formulate testable hypotheses and design appropriate experiments to test them - visualise data and interpret the results using statistical reasoning - discuss the importance of behavioural ecology for nature conservation and animal welfare
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Prerequisites
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Knowledge of evolutionary principles and the fundamentals of animal behaviour.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Oral exam, Student performance, Seminar Work
- ability to design and evaluate a behavioural experiment - knowledge of the concepts and topics covered in the lectures and the assigned literature
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Recommended literature
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Danchin É, Giraldeau L-A, & Cézilly F (Eds.). Behavioural Ecology. Oxford. 2008.
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Krebs JR, Davies NB, West SA. An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology, 4th Edition. Oxford. 2012.
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Špinka M, Havlíček J, Štolhoferová I, Frynta D (Eds.). Etologie: Mechanismy, ontogeneze, funkce a evoluce chování živočichů. Praha. 2024.
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West SA, Dall SRX, Cunningham JP et al. Behavioural ecology in the twenty-first century. 2025.
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