Behavioral ecology

Behavioral Ecology takes an evolutionary approach to the study of behavior, investigating its mechanisms, function and contribution to evolutionary and ecological processes. The work carried out in Behavioral Ecology helps us to understand other phenomena observed in other disciplines of life biology, because all animals, from unicellulars to the most complex vertebrae, exhibit behaviors.

The module exposes students to the various basic concepts, as well as to the multitude of tools likely to be used (observations and experiments on natural populations or captive individuals, comparative analyses, use of modeling tools, ecophysiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, on-board electronics, etc.). Part of the training is based on specific discussions of the research approaches likely to be employed, the tools used and the limits of the inferences that can be made. Students will be expected to play an active role at all these levels, in particular through critical discussions of articles.

Topics range from the exploration of strategies for food provisioning, mate choice, habitat selection and investment in reproduction, to the study of animal communication and the reasons for group living. The historical dimension of the discipline is addressed in the introduction, but also according to the sensibilities of the contributors and the themes addressed (meaning and relationships between 'Animal Behaviour', 'Ethology', Behavioral Ecology etc.).

To demonstrate the importance of ecological and evolutionary approaches in the study of animal behavior, and to provide students with the means to master the basic concepts and tools of behavioral ecology. To illustrate the importance of a behavioral ecology approach to the understanding of numerous ecological and evolutionary processes: in particular, the contributions of behavioral ecology to disciplines such as conservation biology, population dynamics and the study of reproductive systems are illustrated and discussed. To illustrate the different facets of current work in behavioral ecology. Through the discussion of articles, students will also gain an insight into the mechanism of scientific publication, the peer review process, its advantages and limitations.

Completion of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior modules in L1, L2, L3, M1

100% final exam (3-hour written exam)