Undergraduate Course: Evolution of Social Behaviour (ZLGY10025)
Course Outline
School | School of Biological Sciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
Summary | Cooperation, and therefore complex, stable sociality, is a Darwinian paradox. This course will investigate how, despite this, elaborate social behaviour and advanced cooperation has evolved from teams of genes cooperating within genomes, to the sophisticated extremes of social insect colonies and the peculiarities of human social life. The course will start by identifying the underlying genetic conflicts, both within individuals at the genomic level, and between individuals interacting within a society. It will then examine the strategies adopted by both genes and individuals to maximise their own success while minimising the risk of exploitation by others. This will include detailed exploration of the different forms of cooperation; will examine the gap between theoretical and empirical analyses; will review recent controversies regarding the importance of kin selection; and will assess the role of information exchange within societies in stabilising conflict. The course will culminate by identifying the major unresolved questions in our understanding of social evolution, and the empirical approaches required to provide robust answers. |
Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Please do not enrol a student on this course without prior permission from the School of Biological Sciences. Please contact the Course Administrator in the first instance. |
Additional Costs | No |
Course Delivery Information
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Academic year 2023/24, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
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Lecture Hours 30,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
66 )
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
30% In-course Assessment, 70% Exam |
Feedback |
Not entered |
Exam Information |
Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
Focussing on social behaviour, students will gain skills in using empirical evidence to test theoretical ideas, and in the critical assessment of both theory and evidence.
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Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
Keywords | zosocbeh |
Contacts
Course organiser | Dr Matthew Bell
Tel: (0131 6) 50 5496
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Law
Tel: (0131 6)51 3689
Email: |
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