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The Behavioral Ecology & Evolution of Dogs
When
Sat Oct 16, 2010 - Sat Oct 16, 2010
Where
Olympia, WA - United States
Instructor Ray Coppinger, Ph. D. View Event Publisher
Price
$120 - $145
Registration Info http://dogsofcourse.com/
Behavioral Ecology and Evolution
Dogs exist in amazing numbers around the world. Most of them are classified by the World Health Organization as Neighborhood Dogs. These are dogs that are loosely attached to people and are in continuous contact within the greater population of dogs. Exploring the behavior of these village dogs gives us not only the dynamics of how dogs earn a living, but also suggests how they evolved and adapted to civilization. It also provides an insight into dog behavior.
Behavioral ecologists look at the results of an animal’s motions. The animal hunts for food. Hunting for food has a cost, which can be measured in many ways, including the expenditures of time and energy.
The big question for the behavioral ecologist is, how do animals capture enough energy to accomplish all of their biological requirements? Natural selection favors those with the most efficiently shaped motor patterns for feeding or for avoiding hazards, or the ones that can successfully attract a mate and provide for offspring. Yet, behavioral ecologists don’t really care whether these behaviors are genetic or learned. They just ask the question: ‘How does the animal earn a living, how does it forage, reproduce and stay out of trouble while going about its survival business?’
Dr. Coppinger will review and expand on these concepts (and much more) to help us understand how our dogs came into being and how they operate in their environment. He will concentrate on his recent studies of village dogs typified by the dogs in the Mexico City dump and try to compare them with the rest of the dog world. This population gave Dr. Coppinger new insights into the natural history of dogs, into their behavioral ecology, and the continuing evolution of dogs and their people friends.
A day with Dr. Coppinger will certainly be full of great stories, fascinating observations, and ideas that may challenge how you look at dogs in the world.
6.5 CEUs for CPDT. CEUs expected from IAABC