A list of topics for lectures of Ethology and Sociobiology. Their number and order does not correspond to the number of consecutive lectures.

1. Introduction, history and theory of the discipline

Ethology, zoopsychology, behavioural ecology, sociobiology, behavioural sciences, proximate and ultimate causes of behaviour, four Tinbergen's questions

2. Behavioural genetics

Ontogenetic factors, innate versus acquired behaviour, experiments testing heritability of behavioural traits, mechanisms of inheritance of behaviour.

3. Advantages of sociality, reciprocal altruism and cooperation

Aggregation as antipredatory strategy. Prisoner's dilemma and similar games. Fate of altruistic mutation. Reciprocal altruism and conditions required for its persistence. Other types of cooperation.

4. Kin altruism, helpers and family, eusociality

Hamilton's rule, coefficients of relatedness, alarm signals, helping, family and its stability in animals. Social systems in ants, wasps, termites, and eusocial mammals. Theories explaining evolution of eusociality.

5. Infanticide, siblicide and conflict of interests between relatives

Infanticide in langurs, lions and rodents. Siblicide, asynchronous hatching in birds. Parental investment and parental care. Evolution of parental care. Parent-offspring conflict.

6.-7. Aggression, territoriality, and conflict

Defining aggression. Genetic and physiological regulation of aggression. Conflict, territoriality, and hierarchy.Evolutionary stable strategies. Signals and communication.

8. Mating systems, promiscuity, lek

Roles of males and females, sperm competition, promiscuity and its causes, advantages of multiple mating,

9. Polygyny, monogamy, and extrapair paternity. Polyandry and conflict between sexes

Models explaining polygyny, monogamy and paternal investment, correlates of extrapair paternity. Tropical birds. Dunnock as an example of polyandry. Conflict between males and females.

10. Classical ethology

Inherited behavioural patterns, Lorenz, Tinbergen and von Frisch. Innate versus learned.

11. Learning

Associative learning, insight learning, play, aversive learning, taste aversion, imprinting, song learning, spatial cognition, imitation, tradition.

12. Personality in animals

Concepts of personality in animals, behavioural syndromes, heritability and environmental influence, ontogeny, stability, and repeatability.

13.Antipredatory strategies and predator behaviour

Camouflage, aposematism, mimicry, and other antipredatory strategies; perceptual and cognitive abilities of predators; searching mechanisms; predator reactions to prey warning signals; avoidance learning; recognition and generalization of warning signals.

14. Antipredatory behaviour

Behavioural strategies reducing the risk of predation.

Practical course:

One-day practical course takes places in Prague zoo. It consists of the observations of behaviour of selected species , categorization and interpretation of the behaviour, creation of an ethogram and discussion. The list of usually observed species: Equus przewalski, Pecari tajacu, Nasua nasua, Canis lupus, Speothos venaticus, Chrysocyon, Mellivora capensis, Procavia capensis, Helogale parvula, Cynictis penicillata, Suricata suricatta, Lemniscomys barbarus, Arvicanthis niloticus, Acomys cahirinus, Cynomys ludovicianus, Capromys pilorides, Cyclura nubila.

Literature for practical course:

Martin P. & Bateson P. (1993): Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1993.