Life Sciences

Neuroscience and Behaviour

Module code: C1087
Level 4
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Workshop, Online interactive
Assessment modes: Coursework, Multiple choice questions

The mechanisms that drive animal behaviour have evolved so that brains and bodies can deal with an animal’s natural environment. To gain a full understanding of a behaviour we need to ask how, and why, it was produced. 

You will take an integrated approach to animal behaviour, looking at a series of case studies on the mechanisms and functions of behaviour. The module will cover the basics of neuroscience and ethology, and you’ll discuss the diverse ways that you can study these topics.

Module learning outcomes

• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the nervous system, including basic neurophysiology, neuroanatomy and the relationship to sensing the world and guiding action.
• Understand how animal behaviours can be explained in terms of evolution and fitness (the ‘why’ questions) as well as in terms of bodies, environments and brains (the ‘how’ questions).
• Describe a series of neuro-ethological case-studies that highlight the evolutionary and mechanistic explanations of important behaviours.
• Demonstrate skills in critical reading of scientific literature, including interpreting figures and understanding diverse experimental approaches.