BSCI338W/708W Class Schedule 2009


(click on pdf to download lecture notes or reading assignment)

Month

Day

Topic

Notes

Problems  Reading

Jan

27

Intro and what is animal communication?

09pdf

Ch. 1

29 Properties of sound 09pdf Ch. 2
Feb 3 Fourier analysis

09pdf

Ch. 3

app A, app B

5 Raven Pro software tutorial (1121 PLS) 09pdf Manual

10

Sound production 09pdf Ch. 4

12

Sound propagation, incl. discussion of "The expression of the emotions in Man and Animals" in honor of Darwin's 200th birthday 09pdf

Ch. 5

17

Sound reception
(Paper summary 1* due)

09pdf

Ch. 6

19 Properties of light 09pdf Ch. 7

24

Production and transmission of light

09pdf

Ch. 8

26

Light signal reception

09pdf

Ch. 9

March 3 Chemical signals (Paper summary 2* due)
09pdf Ch. 10
5 Electroreception 09pdf
Ch. 11

10 MIDTERM


Ch. 1-11

12

Information in signals (Paper summary 3* due) 09pdf

Ch. 13-14

17-19

Spring Break!

 


 

24

Signal coding and evolution

09pdf

Ch. 15-16

26

Signal costs and constraints

09pdf

Ch. 17
31 (No class: work on group projects)
 April

2

Evolutionary game logic, signal honesty
(
Group Project Proposal Due)
09pdf Ch. 19-20

7

Conflict resolution 

09pdf

Ch. 21
9 Territorial signaling (Paper summary 4* due) 09pdf Ch. 22

14

Signaling about mates

09pdf

Ch. 23

16

(No class: work on group projects)



21 Social integration 09pdf Ch. 24

23

Environmental signaling

09pdf

Ch. 25

28

Language evolution (Paper summary 5* due)

09pdf

Problems
30 Autocommunication

09pdf

Ch. 26

 May

5

Group presentations



7

Group presentations



12 Group presentations

14

FINAL 8-10AM

Principles of Animal Communication by Jack Bradbury and Sandra Vehrencamp, Sinauer Press, 1998

*journal articles must be dated 2005-2009 and relate to the following lecture topics:

1: vocal signal production, transmission or reception
2: visual signal production, transmission or reception
3: chemical or electrical signal production, transmission or reception
4: signal information, economics or evolution
5: signal function