ZOO 4070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Group Cohesiveness, Stotting
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Find articles on the UG library search engine
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Textbook: Exploring Animal Behaviour: Readings from the
American Scientist
Proposal -September 29 (10%)
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Poster Content & Presentation -November 27/29,
December 1 (30%)
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Evaluation by Group Members -December 1 (10%)
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Evaluation of Another Poster -November 27/29,
December 1 (5%)
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Term Project:
Formulation of problem statement and hypothesis
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Design of field study and predictions
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Collection of field data
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Main conclusion and short discussion
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Ideas for future proximate or ultimate types of studies
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Poster design
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Peer review
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Main elements:
Question/problem statement
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Hypothesis/hypotheses
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Short (1 paragraph, 3-5 sentences) rationale for each
hypothesis
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Predictions: in written 1 sentence each
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Proposal:
Hypothetico-Deductive Approach
If….then….
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More than a statement of differences
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Refutable
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Forbids certain things to happen
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Has mechanism for the explanation
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Hypothesis:
Result expected if the hypothesis is true
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The "then" in the "if...then…"
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Specifies what to measure and in what direction (graph)
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It is relevant to a limited set of hypothesis or (ideally) one
hypothesis
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Prediction:
Increases the ability to derive meaningful results
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Each hypothesis must generate a unique set of predictions
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From literature or own creativity
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Alternative Hypotheses:
Signal health
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Predator detection/ pursuit deterrence
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Confusion effect
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Social cohesion
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Attract mother's attention
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Warning conspecifics
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Anti-ambush behaviour
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Play
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Hypothesis?
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Solitary gazelle stots
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Grouped gazelle stots
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Directed signal at predator
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Stotting increases with vegetation density
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Sick gazelles stot
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Testing hypotheses with predictions (Y/N):
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Example: Stotting in Thompson's gazelles
Multiple alternative hypotheses can be supported
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Competing hypotheses are truly competing, evidence
cannot support both at the same time
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Alternative vs. Competing Hypothesis:
Introduction & Project
Friday,)September) 8,)2017
11:23)AM
