Course Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1) Explain how neuroethologists investigate neural mechanisms of natural animal behaviors.

2) Describe neural mechanisms underlying sensory processing of natural stimuli in neuroethological model species.

3) Describe neural mechanisms underlying sensorimotor integration, motor control, and behavioral choice in neuroethological model species.

4) Describe neural mechanisms underlying motor learning in a neuroethological model species.

5) Extract the background, main question, and main experimental findings and interpretations from your reading of scientific research articles and clearly explain these in writing and orally.

Grading

Course component Contribution to grade

Pop quizzes……………………………………………………….…… 10%

Class participation…………………………………………………….. 10%

Written paper (4970: 3-5 pages; 5970: 6-8 pages)……………………. 20%

Oral presentation of article (4970: ~25 min.; 5970: ~40 min.).……….. 10%

Midterm exam………………………………………………………… 20%

Final exam ……………………………………………………………. 30%

Pop quizzes will include material from previous lectures as well as material from the textbook and other readings assigned for that day or before. There will be no make-up quizzes.

Exam grades will not be curved; instead, all scores on an individual exam may be scaled up (i.e., the same number of points added to each student’s score); the instructor alone will make this decision.

Grading Errors: If you believe there was an error in a quiz or exam or a mistake in grading, you must give the instructor a written description of the apparent mistake and your reasoning within one week of receiving the grade. The instructor will decide on the complaint and inform the student at a later time.

NOTES

1) Attendance and class participation are expected. Some important announcements may also occur during class. Please provide written documentation of any medical absence immediately upon return to class if you wish to make up missed work.

2) Some materials will be available only on the internet at https://learn.ou.edu. Students are expected to access Desire2Learn and download readings as required.

3) Some course communications may be via e-mail. Students are expected to access their OU e-mail account (or set e-mail forwarding appropriately) and check for course-related messages.

4) For both the paper you write and your oral presentation, select an original research article < 10 years old on a neuroethology topic not otherwise covered in class; request instructor approval by Oct. 13. In both the paper and the presentation, you should discuss both a natural animal behavior and its neural mechanisms. You should first review relevant background material on the system in question and then analyze the original research paper in depth.

5) Regulations and responsibilities stated in the Student Code and Faculty Handbook will be followed in the event of academic dishonesty. (See http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity/.) Papers must be written entirely by the student alone; plagiarism will not be tolerated.

6) If a grade of W or I is requested, University policy will be followed.

7) The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested to speak with the professor as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone 405/325-3852 or TDD only 405/325-4173.

IMPORTANT DATES

Last date for automatic W upon withdrawal: October 2

Midterm exam: October 8

Deadline to request approval for original research article to be presented: October 13

Last date for withdrawal without petition to dean: October 30

No class (Thanksgiving): November 26

Final exam: Monday, December 14, 4:30-6:30 PM

TIPS FOR READING & PRESENTING RESEARCH ARTICLES

When you read, focus on the Introduction, Summary or Abstract, and Discussion or Conclusions (probably read in that order). Try not to get hung up on methodological details or unfamiliar vocabulary. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: What did the author(s) basically do in the key experiment(s)? Why did they choose to do this particular experiment(s)? What was the major finding(s) of this experiment(s)? How did the authors interpret this finding(s) (i.e., what did it tell them about how nervous systems mediate natural behaviors)? Do you think this interpretation of the finding(s) is reasonable? Try to identify the key 1-3 data figures in the article and evaluate whether they really support the authors' conclusions.

When you lead a discussion of an article, first describe the background and motivation for doing the study. Describe the key experiment(s) in as simple terms as possible. Show the key data figures and explain how to read them and what each demonstrates. Summarize the author's conclusions and give your own critique of whether or not the experimental data support those conclusions.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

WEEK	TOPIC	REQUIRED READINGS	OPTIONAL READINGS
	Introduction
Week 1: 8/25, 8/27	Neurothology’s parents: Ethology & Neurobiology	Carew, Chapter 1 Zupanc 2004, Chapter 2 Tinbergen 1950	Lehrman 1953; Ewert 1980, Ch.1 Bullock 1983 (1 & 2) Kandel et al. 1995, Chs. 10-11
	Sensory processing
Weeks 2-3: 9/1, 9/3, 9/8	Bat echolocation	Carew, Chapter 2 Sanchez et al. 2008	Pierce & Griffin 1938; Griffin 2001 Suga 1989 Jones & Holderied 2007
Weeks 3-4: 9/10, 9/15, 9/17	Owl sound localization	Carew, Chapter 3 Linkenhoker & Knudsen 2002; Bergen et al. 2005	Konishi 2006 Knudsen 2002
Weeks 5-6: 9/22, 9/24, 9/29	Electric fish jamming avoidance	Rose 2004 Zupanc & Bullock 2006 Carlson & Kawasaki 2006	Electric fish: Lissman 1951; Alexander 2006; Zupanc 2006 Toad prey-catching: Carew, Ch. 4; Ewert 1997
	Sensorimotor integration, motor control, and behavioral choice
Weeks 6-7: 10/1, 10/6	Cricket singing & responding	Carew, Chapter 5 Poulet & Hedwig 2006	Huber 1990
10/8	Midterm Exam
Week 8: 10/13, 10/15	Crayfish escape	Carew, Chapter 7 Yeh et al. 1996	Edwards et al. 1998 Barinaga 1996
Week 9: 10/20, 10/22	Tadpole swimming	Roberts 1998 Li et al. 2007	Zupanc, Chapter 5
Week 10: 10/27, 10/29	Leech behavioral choice	Kristan et al. 2005, pp. 290-320 Briggman et al. 2005	Briggman & Kristan 2008
	Motor learning
Weeks 11-12: 11/3, 11/5, 11/10, 11/12	Songbird song learning	Carew, Chapter 8 Andalman & Fee 2009	Brainard & Doupe 2002
	Student topics
Weeks 13-16: 11/17-12/10	TBA	TBA	TBA
12/14	FINAL EXAM: 4:30-6:30 PM

Note: This schedule is tentative and may be changed by the instructor as needed.

Course Objectives

Carew, Chapter 2