Introduction to Brain, Behaviour and Evolution
SCI140
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Warning: Mature Content
This unit contains mature content including Adult Themes, Sex / Sexual References and Violence and may not be suitable for some students. Any student under the age of 16 who would like to enrol in this unit must first complete a Parental Consent Form.
Level of study: What does Undergraduate Level 1 mean?
Undergraduate Level 1
EFTSL: What does EFTSL mean?
0.125
Delivery Method: What does delivery method mean?
Fully Online
Prerequisites: What are the prerequisites?
Availability: What is a Study period?
For enrolment (2012): For forward planning* (2013): What is Forward Planning?- -
- SP2
- SP3
- -
Duration:
13 weeks
Fee: Fees (current and planned)
- Domestic student fee:
- $795.00 (AUD)
- HECS student fee:
- $1,006.00 (AUD)
- International student fee:
- $1,020.00 (AUD)
Description
The Greatest Show on the Planet. This unit is a suitable introductory science unit for all students. It offers an integrative approach to the amazing world of animal behaviour. Basic mechanisms are covered, together with function and evolution. Scientific literacy about key ideas in the life sciences is an aim of the unit, which is delivered with engaging and colourful lectures and practicals. Such ideas include evolution, sex, genetics, how our brain works, sensing the world and animal communication. The unit culminates with some reflections on the lives of humans in our modern world and the role of culture in human evolution.
Prerequisites
Equivalent units
You cannot enrol in this unit if you have successfully completed any of the following unit(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
- PSY140 — Introduction to Brain, Behaviour and Evolution
Assessment
- Invigilated Exam (50%)
- Paper (17%)
- Quiz (5%)
- Report (17%)
- Review (11%)
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this unit students will:
- be able to think critically about explanations of behaviour
- have a basic understanding of evolutionary processes
- have a basic understanding of how the brain works.
Topics
This unit addresses the following topics.
| Number | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Overview |
| 2 | How science 'works' |
| 3 | Ethics |
| 4 | Good study habits |
| 5 | Brief irreverent history |
| 6 | Different explanations of behaviour |
| 7 | Evolution |
| 8 | Homeostasis |
| 9 | Nervous system |
| 10 | Senses |
| 11 | Perception |
| 12 | Genetics and epigenetics |
| 13 | Learning |
| 14 | Mechanistic bases of animal behaviour |
| 15 | Functional explanations of animal behaviour |
| 16 | Communication |
| 17 | Sexual selection |
| 18 | Human evolution |
| 19 | Sexual selection in humans |
| 20 | Culture and human evolution |
| 21 | Guns, germs and steel |
| 22 | Review |
Study Resources
This unit is delivered using the following methods and materials:
Instructional Methods
- Discussion Forum/Discussion Board
- Online Quizzes/Tests
Online materials
- Audio/Video - Streaming
- Quizzes
Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a unit.
Click on the titles of the listed books below to find out more:
Required textbooks
Introduction to Brain, Behaviour and Evolution
By:Siiter Roland J.
ISBN: -
Format:Print
Supplier:Go to Unibooks
Recommended textbooks
There are no recommended textbooks for this unit.
Relevant Courses
This unit is an approved elective in the following courses:
This unit may be eligible for credit towards other courses:
- Many undergraduate courses on offer through OUA include 'open elective' where any OUA unit can be credited to the course. You need to check the Award Requirements on the course page for the number of allowed open electives and any level limitations.
- In other cases, the content of this unit might be relevant to a course on offer through OUA or elsewhere. In order to receive credit for this unit in the course you will need to supply the provider institution with a copy of the Unit Profile in the approved format, which you can download here. Note that the Unit Profile is set at the start of the year, and if textbooks change this may not match the Unibooks textbook list.
If you would like to study this unit and enrol today, add it to your Study Cart. Alternatively if you are still exploring your options, you can save this unit to review later by clicking Save to Wishlist.
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