Course Contents

1. Introduction; Mechanism of Behavior, Proximate Factors, Causative Factors, Natural Selection, Adaptation and Cultural Transmission as three foundations of Animal Behavior. Animal Behaviour and Natural Selection (Selfish Genes). The role of nervous system: Components of Nervous system with a focus on the concept of stimulus, Filtering and features detectors, command neurons, neurological basis of behavior and proximate causation. Role of hormones with an emphasis on the study of Pheromones ultimate and proximate prospective. Biological rhythm: Rhythmic behavior synchronizes on animal activities with daily and seasonal changes in the environment with certain examples from animal world (Nocturnal Animals). Longer and shorter rhythm, circannual rhythm. Development of Behavior, Genes and Behavior; Fitness; Innmate behavior, habituation, sensitization, conditioning and social learning with examples. Navigation and Migration, trail line, the environment and behavior, migration and its genetics. Communication for aging plays mating, aggression, predation, songs with examples from different animal types, alarm signals. 2. Social organization: conflicts with family, parent of spring conflict relatedness and inclusive fitness, role of thumb, sibling rivalry, agonistic behavior, competitive social behaviors, dominance hierarchies, territoriality, choosing a mate. Mating systems, sexual reproduction, courtships, monogamies, polygamies, and polyandry. Social Interaction and Diverse Mode of communications. Altruism and reciprocal Altruism, parental care, kinship, Social System: The range of cooperative behaviors, social grooming, group hunting, nest raiding, group selection, mutualism, cooperative breeding in birds, examples from ants and butterflies, honey bees, hormones, reproductive separation and cooperative breeding. Collations and alliances, molecular neurobiological and hormonal aspects of social system.