Animal Behavior (ANBE)
The program in animal behavior offers an interdisciplinary major that includes subject matter in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and psychology. The focus is directed toward understanding behavior and providing the student with a background uniting ecological, ethological, environmental, evolutionary, experimental, and physiological approaches to the study of animal life.
During the more than 40 years that Bucknell University has offered this major, animal behavior has been chosen by students seeking a broad background in the natural and social sciences, by those who become researchers, as a background for medical or veterinary science and, because of the breadth of requirements, by persons filling a variety of positions in commerce, law, and public service.
The major may be pursued under either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science programs. The programs differ chiefly in the number of advanced science courses and laboratories. All students are encouraged to seek laboratory and field experiences in addition to required course work. The Bucknell laboratories, as well as opportunities abroad, are well suited to so complement the student’s education. Research culminating in an honors thesis is especially recommended.
Animal behavior majors will fulfill the Culminating Experience requirement by taking ANBE 320 Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior in their senior year. The course will be open only to senior animal behavior majors and will be designed to explore diverse areas and concepts in animal behavior particularly relevant to a student graduating with a degree in animal behavior. The course will encourage majors to reflect retrospectively on what they have learned over the years and to look to the future for current movements within the field.
Information literacy, formal presentation, and writing goals within the major will be fulfilled when students take ANBE 296 Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior/PSYC 296 Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior and ANBE 320 Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior. In ANBE 296 Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior/PSYC 296 Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior, students conduct experimental research, present their work to the class in a conference-style session and write up their research as a journal-style publication. In so doing, they search the literature to find sources that provide a theoretical basis for their study, develop the hypotheses tested, and instruct the design of their study. In ANBE 320 Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior, students will develop more theoretical and conceptual writing skills by conducting literature searches on topics in animal behavior and synthesizing the material into a review-style paper. Students will present the results of their literature reviews to class and lead class discussions on selected topics, also enhancing their presentation skills. Although information literacy, formal presentation, and writing goals within the major will be specifically addressed in ANBE 296 Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior/PSYC 296 Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior and ANBE 320 Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior, majors will receive similar training in these skills in many other courses they take as electives and requirements within the major.
Bachelor of Arts
The Bachelor of Arts major consists of the following 13 required courses.
| Animal Behavior core course | ||
| ANBE/BIOL/PSYC 266 | Animal Behavior | 1 |
| Applied Research Methods in Animal Behavior | ||
| ANBE/PSYC 296 | Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior | 1 |
| Biology core courses 1 | ||
| Select three of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Molecules and Cells (strongly recommended) | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Principles of Ecology and Evolution (strongly recommended) | ||
| Psychology core requirements | ||
| PSYC 203 | Learning | 1 |
| PSYC 250 | Biopsychology | 1 |
| Statistics requirement | ||
| PSYC 215 | Psychological Statistics | 1 |
| or MATH 216 | Statistics I | |
| Chemistry requirement | ||
| Select one of the following pairs: | 2 | |
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II | ||
| General Chemistry and General Chemistry | ||
| Upper-level animal behavior electives 2 | ||
| Select two of the following: | 2 | |
| Amphibian Biology and Conservation | ||
| Comparative Animal Cognition | ||
| Topics in Animal Behavior | ||
| Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Organic Evolution | ||
| Neuroethology | ||
| Tropical Ecology | ||
| Social Insects | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Primate Behavior and Ecology | ||
| Primate Cognition | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Principles of Physiology | ||
| Neurophysiology | ||
| Endocrinology | ||
| Ecosystem Ecology | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Systematic Biology | ||
| Advanced Psychological Statistics | ||
| Culminating Experience requirement | ||
| ANBE 320 | Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior | 1 |
| 1 | Students should consult with an academic adviser in animal behavior to determine the most appropriate biology course selections given their academic goals. |
| 2 | Cross-listed courses are indicated. With special permission, other upper-level PSYC/BIOL courses can be considered as electives. |
Bachelor of Science
The Bachelor of Science major consists of the following courses:
| Animal Behavior core course | ||
| ANBE/BIOL/PSYC 266 | Animal Behavior | 1 |
| Applied Research Methods in Animal Behavior | ||
| ANBE/PSYC 296 | Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior | 1 |
| PSYC 290 | Applied Research Methods Seminar in Physiological Psychology | 1 |
| or PSYC 293 | Applied Research Methods Seminar in Learning | |
| Calculus requirement | ||
| MATH 201 | Calculus I | 1 |
| Physics requirements | ||
| PHYS 211 & PHYS 212 | Classical and Modern Physics and Classical and Modern Physics | 2 |
| Biology core courses 1 | ||
| Select three of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Molecules and Cells (strongly recommended) | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Principles of Ecology and Evolution (strongly recommended) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Introduction to Molecules and Cells | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Principles of Ecology and Evolution | ||
| Psychology core requirements | ||
| PSYC 203 | Learning | 1 |
| PSYC 250 | Biopsychology | 1 |
| Statistics requirement | ||
| PSYC 215 | Psychological Statistics | 1 |
| or MATH 216 | Statistics I | |
| Chemistry requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 2 | |
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II | ||
| General Chemistry and General Chemistry | ||
| Upper-level animal behavior electives 2 | ||
| Select three of the following: | 3 | |
| Comparative Animal Cognition | ||
| Topics in Animal Behavior | ||
| Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Organic Evolution | ||
| Neuroethology | ||
| Tropical Ecology | ||
| Social Insects | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Primate Behavior and Ecology | ||
| Primate Cognition | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Principles of Physiology | ||
| Neurophysiology | ||
| Endocrinology | ||
| Ecosystem Ecology | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Systematic Biology | ||
| Advanced Psychological Statistics | ||
| Culminating Experience requirement | ||
| ANBE 320 | Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior | 1 |
| 1 | Students should consult with an academic adviser in animal behavior to determine the most appropriate biology course selections given their academic goals. |
| 2 | Cross-listed courses are indicated. With special permission, other upper-level PSYC/BIOL courses can be considered as electives. |
The recommended sequence for the Bachelor of Science major is as follows:
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| ANBE 266 | 1 | BIOL 206 | 1 |
| BIOL 205 | 1 | PSYC 215 or MATH 216 | 1 |
| MATH 201 | 1 | ||
| 3 | 2 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| BIOL 207 | 1 | BIOL 208 | 1 |
| PSYC 203 or 250 | 1 | PSYC 203 or 250 | 1 |
| CHEM 211 or 201 | 1 | CHEM 212 or 202 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | ||
| Junior | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | Select one of the following: | 1 |
| Animal behavior elective | 1 | Animal behavior elective | 1 |
| PHYS 211 | 1 | PHYS 212 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | ||
| Senior | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | Select one of the following: | 1 |
Animal behavior elective | |||
Animal behavior elective | |||
| 1 | 1 | ||
| Total Credits: 19 | |||
All students are advised to take the biology core courses in sequence, starting with BIOL 205 Introduction to Molecules and Cells. BIOL 208 Principles of Ecology and Evolution serves as the prerequisite for most of the elective courses. A student’s choice of the chemistry sequence (either CHEM 201 General Chemistry-CHEM 202 General Chemistry or CHEM 211 Organic Chemistry I-CHEM 212 Organic Chemistry II) should be made in consultation with the student’s academic adviser. Note that for both programs one semester of independent research (ANBE 391 Research) or honors credit (ANBE 399 Senior Thesis) may count toward the upper-level electives.
Off-campus study and research is encouraged. Recent students have studied in Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Other programs in Europe, Asia, South and Central America are also appropriate. Students are advised to explore opportunities through the Office of International Education and to coordinate off-campus coursework in consultation with a faculty adviser. Many minors complement studies in animal behavior and students are encouraged to explore options within the humanities and social sciences in consultation with a faculty adviser.
Courses
ANBE 266. Animal Behavior. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
A survey of important theories, issues, and empirical techniques in the interdisciplinary field of animal behavior emphasizing both proximate and ultimate mechanisms and explanations for behavior. Crosslisted as BIOL 266 and PSYC 266.
ANBE 296. Applied Research Methods Seminar in Animal Behavior. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:3; May require dissection or live animal experimentation
Laboratory and/or field research to accompany ANBE 266, BIOL 266, or PSYC 266. Prerequisites: PSYC 215 and prerequisite or corequisite ANBE 266, BIOL 266, or PSYC 266. Crosslisted as PSYC 296.
ANBE 2NT. Animal Behavior Non-traditional Study. .5-4 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Non-traditional course in Animal Behavior. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ANBE 314. Amphibian Biology and Conservation. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3,Other:3
The biology of amphibians, including classification, physiology, reproduction, ecology, evolution, and conservation. Laboratory section will include identification of amphibians and field work to identify conservation issues surrounding local amphibian populations. Prerequisites: BIOL 206, BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 314.
ANBE 317. Comparative Animal Cognition. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
Advanced seminar in issues of nature/nurture, learning, development, and adaptation, in behaviors such as foraging, mating, and communication in several species. Prerequisites: ANBE 266 or BIOL 266 or PSYC 266 and PSYC 203 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as PSYC 317.
ANBE 319. Topics in Animal Behavior. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Occasional seminars on selected topics of current interest in animal behavior. Prerequisites: ANBE 266, BIOL 266, or PSYC 266, junior or senior status and permission of the instructor.
ANBE 320. Advanced Topics in Animal Behavior. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3; Repeatable
Culminating Experience seminar for senior animal behavior majors covering selected topics of current interest in animal behavior. Prerequisites: senior animal behavior major status and permission of the instructor.
ANBE 321. Behavioral Ecology. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
The consideration of behavioral adaptations to various ecological situations. Topics include habitat choice, foraging behavior, defenses against predation, mate choice, and brood care. Prerequisites: BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 321.
ANBE 341. Organic Evolution. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternating Spring Semester; Lecture hours:3,Other:3
The principles and mechanisms of evolution in plants and animals, covering population phenomena, speciation, life history strategies, adaptation, systematics, and biogeography. Prerequisites: BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 341.
ANBE 342. Neuroethology. 1 Credit.
Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
A course that integrates neurobiology and behavior in natural contexts. Emphasis on signal detection, recognition, discrimination, localization, orientation, and the control of complex acts. Neuronal and hormonal mechanisms, ontogeny and evolution of behavior will be considered. Prerequisites: BIOL 206, BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 342.
ANBE 354. Tropical Ecology. 1 Credit.
Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Introduction to tropical ecology including life history strategies of vertebrates and invertebrates, biodiversity management and conservation. Emphasis on class and individual projects, data collection, and journal keeping. Prerequisites: BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 354.
ANBE 355. Social Insects. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3,Other:2; May require dissection or live animal experimentation
Evolution and genetics of social behavior, caste, communication in foraging and colony defense, queen and worker control over reproduction, social homeostasis, and population dynamics. Occasionally may be taught as a laboratory science. Prerequisites: BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 355. Juniors and seniors only.
ANBE 357. Ornithology. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3,Other:3
The biology of birds, including evolution, behavior, anatomy, physiology, ecology, and conservation; lab trips focus on identification of birds in the field. Prerequisites: BIOL 206, BIOL 208 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as BIOL 357.
ANBE 370. Primate Behavior and Ecology. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall Semester Only; Lecture hours:3,Other:3; May require dissection or live animal experimentation
Introduction to research on prosimians, monkeys, and apes with emphasis on the evolutionary origin of diversity, habitat use, social structure, social behavior, and cognitive abilities. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Prerequisites: BIOL 122 or BIOL 208 or ANBE 266 or BIOL 266 or PSYC 266 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ANBE 370 and BIOL 370.
ANBE 371. Primate Cognition. 1 Credit.
Offered Alternate Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3; May require dissection or live animal experimentation
An investigation into the cognitive abilities and capacities of nonhuman primates emphasizing a comparative perspective. Prerequisites: ANBE 266 or BIOL 266 or PSYC 266 and permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as PSYC 371.
ANBE 372. Evolution of Acquired Behavior. 1 Credit.
Offered Both Fall and Spring; Lecture hours:3
Advanced seminar exploring cognition and behavior from evolutionary and comparative perspectives. Topics will include social behavior, memory, communication, spatial cognition, learning, and meta-cognition. Prerequisites: PSYC 266, ANBE 266, and permission of the instructor.
ANBE 391. Research. .5-1 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies; Repeatable; May require dissection or live animal experimentation
Independent research, with faculty supervision, in the study of animal behavior. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ANBE 399. Senior Thesis. 1 Credit.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:2,Other:10; Repeatable; May require dissection or live animal experimentation
Original research leading to a thesis presentation on a topic related to the study of animal behavior. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
ANBE 3NT. Animal Behavior Non-traditional Study. 1-2 Credits.
Offered Fall, Spring, Summer; Lecture hours:Varies,Other:Varies
Nontraditional study in Animal Behavior. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Faculty
Director: Peter G. Judge
Coordinating Committee: Z. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Elizabeth A. Capaldi Evans, Peter G. Judge, Kevin P. Myers, DeeAnn M. Reeder, Jennifer Rice Stevenson