Animal Behavior
Animal behavior gets examined through the twin lenses of ethology and sociobiology in this MIT OpenCourseWare course. Lectures and readings draw on Scott's 2005 text and Alcock's 2001 sociobiology textbook, supplemented with classic papers in the field and selected video presentations. Topics move from foundational approaches to studying animal behavior toward the evolutionary logic behind social behavior, mating systems, and communication in animals. The course includes a full syllabus, reading lists, and lecture notes as published by MIT, giving a structured path through both the historical development of ethology and the more modern sociobiological framework. No paid certificate is offered through OCW, but all materials are free to access and use for self-study or teaching.