Learning objectives
<br />The Course deals with the biological bases of social behaviour in animals and humans, with particular regard to the selective pressure that determined the development and evolution of different kinds of social organization. The Course will be focused on different aspects of living together, and on the conflicts and cooperation phenomena that occur among members of social groups. The student will acquire the basic concepts of sociobiology and will become confident with its methodology so to adequately approach sociobiological problems.
Prerequisites
Basic concepts of Etologia and Behavioural Ecology
Course unit content
<br />1. INTRODUCTION <br /><br />Sociobiology: definition, aims and methods caratteristiche<br />The social problem: to be or not to be. <br />Prime forces of social evolution <br />Levels of sociality<br />Kinds of social grouping <br />Recognition, Communication and division of roles: some principles. <br /><br /><br />2. COOPERATION AND CONFLICT IN ANIMAL SOCIETIES <br />2.1 COOPERATION AND GROUP LIVING <br /> - LIVING IN GROUP AND DEFENCE AGAINST PREDATORS<br /> - LIVING IN GROUP AND COOPERATION IN FINDING FOOD <br /> - REDUCE THE COSTS OF LIVING IN GROUPS<br /><br />2.2 ALTRUISM<br /><br /> - GROUP SELECTION: Logic of group selection, validity and critics<br /> - KIN SELECTION<br /> - HELPING OTHERS TO REPRODUCE: altruist or selfish strategy? <br /> - RECIPROCAL ALTRUISM<br /> - SOCIAL PARASITISM<br /> <br />2.3 CONFLICTS AND SOCIAL LIFE<br /><br /> - BASIC CONCEPT OF BIOLOGY OF AGGRESSION<br /> - FIGHTING AND ASSESSMENT <br /> Evolutionarily Stable Strategies (ESS)<br /> Game theory <br /> Tactics and Strategies <br /> - DOMINANTS AND SUBORDINATES <br /><br /><br />3. EUSOCIALITY<br /><br />4. BASIC CONCEPTS OF PRIMATE SOCIALITY <br /><br /><br />5. HUMAN SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: an evolutionary approach<br />
Full programme
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Bibliography
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ECOLOGIA E COMPORTAMENTO ANIMALE. <br />
J.R. Krebs e N.B. Davies <br />
Boringhieri, Torino (2002).<br />
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ETOLOGIA – Un approccio evolutivo. (3 Ed) <br />
J. Alcock <br />
Zanichelli, Bologna (2007).<br />
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COOPERATION AMONG ANIMALS: AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE <br />
L.A. Dugtkin. <br />
Oxford University Press (1997)<br />
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SURVIVAL STRATEGIES: COOPERATION AND CONFLICT IN ANIMAL SOCIETIES. <br />
R. Gadagkar <br />
Harvard University Press (1997)
Teaching methods
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TEACHING: Lectures made using also multimedia tools, analysis of classic and peculiar case studies. <br />
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EVALUATION: Oral examination aimed to verify the capacity of the student to tackle problems of behavioural ecology using the methodological principles and knowledge acquired during the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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