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BIOL-F455
Biology of animal societies
Course teacher(s)
Yves ROISIN (Coordinator)ECTS credits
5
Language(s) of instruction
english
Course content
Overview of animal groupings and the definition of various levels of sociality. Theoretical introduction on how natural selection operates in animal societies: altruism and selfishness, reciprocity, kinship, inclusive fitness, etc. Levels of sociality. Illustration of these notions by case studies.
Sociality in Arthropods. Increasingly complex societies: parental behaviour in insects, web sharing in spiders, sociality in wood-dwelling beetles, gall-living thrips and aphids, social shrimps. Evolution of complex termite colonies from wood-feeding blattoid ancestors.
The social Hymenoptera. Theoretical implications of haplodiploidy. Evolution of highly social bees, wasps and ants. Applications of natural selection theory to established societies (sex ratio, reproductive division of labour).
Cooperatively breeding vertebrates. Kin selection, parental manipulation, reproductive skew, and importance of ecological conditions: examples from cichlid fishes and birds.
Mammals. Applications of natural selection theory to the social organization of carnivores and primates. Insect-like sociality in rodents (mole-rats).
General conclusions: common features of all animal societies.
Sociality in Arthropods. Increasingly complex societies: parental behaviour in insects, web sharing in spiders, sociality in wood-dwelling beetles, gall-living thrips and aphids, social shrimps. Evolution of complex termite colonies from wood-feeding blattoid ancestors.
The social Hymenoptera. Theoretical implications of haplodiploidy. Evolution of highly social bees, wasps and ants. Applications of natural selection theory to established societies (sex ratio, reproductive division of labour).
Cooperatively breeding vertebrates. Kin selection, parental manipulation, reproductive skew, and importance of ecological conditions: examples from cichlid fishes and birds.
Mammals. Applications of natural selection theory to the social organization of carnivores and primates. Insect-like sociality in rodents (mole-rats).
General conclusions: common features of all animal societies.
Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)
The question behind this course is "How did animal societies evolve, from loose aggregations or basic mother-offspring groups to highly complex army ant colonies or baboon troops ?"
Students are expected to acquire (1) an overall view of the diversity of social organization pattrens in animals, (2) a basic theoretical knowledge of how natural selection acts upon animal societies, and (3) the ability to identify such selective pressures through the formulation and testing of hypotheses and predictions.
Students are expected to acquire (1) an overall view of the diversity of social organization pattrens in animals, (2) a basic theoretical knowledge of how natural selection acts upon animal societies, and (3) the ability to identify such selective pressures through the formulation and testing of hypotheses and predictions.
Teaching methods and learning activities
Magistral lectures on theoretical bases of social behaviour. Illustration by case studies throughout the animal kingdom.
References, bibliography, and recommended reading
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. E.O. Wilson. Harvard University Press, 1975.
Les Sociétés Animales. S. Aron, L. Passera. De Boeck Université, 2000.
Other information
Contacts
Coordinateur: Yves Roisin
yroisin@ulb.be
Campus
Plaine
Evaluation
Method(s) of evaluation
- Personal work
- Other
Personal work
Other
Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)
Questions sur la théories et études de cas (2/3 de la note).
Travail personnel (1/3): chaque étudiant présentera en détail un article scientifique sur le comportement social d'une espèce choisie. Différents articles sur la même espèce seront proposés à plusieurs étudiants, afin d'encourager le travail d'équipe.
Language(s) of evaluation
- english
- (if applicable french )