AT 8-001_FA21: Course Alias: at8-1-fa@eckerd.edu
Is social behavior important for survival? How can genetically-encoded selflessness arise through natural selection? Are there drawbacks of social behavior? In this class, we will address these questions by exploring various social insect models and their forms of social behaviors. An emphasis will be placed on honey bee and bumble bee biology, hobbyist and commercial bee keeping practices, and the tumultuous relationship between insects and humans. Trips to a local commercial bee keeping operation and the downtown St. Pete Farmers Market will provide hands-on learning opportunities to see how pollination services are used to drive agricultural production. We will contrast classic texts on social insect societies with modern films and articles on evolution of social behavior and the environmental risks to insects today.
Is social behavior important for survival? How can genetically-encoded selflessness arise through natural selection? Are there drawbacks of social behavior? In this class, we will address these questions by exploring various social insect models and their forms of social behaviors. An emphasis will be placed on honey bee and bumble bee biology, hobbyist and commercial bee keeping practices, and the tumultuous relationship between insects and humans. Trips to a local commercial bee keeping operation and the downtown St. Pete Farmers Market will provide hands-on learning opportunities to see how pollination services are used to drive agricultural production. We will contrast classic texts on social insect societies with modern films and articles on evolution of social behavior and the environmental risks to insects today.
- Profesor: Scott Dobrin