Bioacoustics (Zoology 583)
SYLLABUS BIOACOUSTICS (ZOOLOGY 583)
BIOACOUSTICS (ZOOLOGY 583)
Spring 2013
Instructor:Jeanette Thomas, Professor
Biology Department
Western Illinois University Quad Cities
3561 60th St., room 250
Moline, IL 61265
Contacts:Cell phone: 309-269-9364
E-mail: (preferred communication)
Web Pages:
Prerequisite:Graduate standing, undergraduate degree in Biology
Location/Date/Time:Fridays 11:30-4:30, Electronic TechnologyClassroom at
Shedd Aquarium,18 January to 8 March2013
WIU spring break 11-15 March 2013
Texts:Lecture notes from instructor provided by email to your gmail account. Call-up lectures fromcomputer during class.
Instructor Provides:Sound pressure level meter for lab exercise.
Student Must: accessRAVENLite 1.0 software (PC, MAC, or Linux based), free, download at:
Requirements:Students must have access to the Internet and a computer with a microphone input. Quad Cities students-Bring a laptop to class if you have one. Computers are available at each student’s desk in the ETC room of the Aquarium.WIUQC students, please let me know if you need to check out a laptop BEFORE class.
Grades:Catalog of Sample Sounds200 points
Takehome exams (2 X 100) 200 points
Critique of Scientific Paper100 points
Exercises (5 X 25)125 points
Science News Oral Reports (2 X 10) 20 points
Total 645points
Grading Scale:90-100%A
89-80B
79-70C
69-60D
59 & belowF
Additional Fees:Students taking this class only at the Shedd Aquarium are required to pay a fee of $150 to the Shedd Aquarium during the first day of class.
Attendance:Students are required to attend each class, unexcused absences will result in lowering of the grade by one letter per class missed. Students must notify instructor in advance of missing a course and the reason why. Instructor will determine if the absence is excusable.
Objectives: This class will examine how sounds are produced and received in invertebrates, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Topics include hearing physiology and anatomy, the role of sounds in animal communication and the possible effects of noise on organisms. Sounds in the underwater and airborne environment will be compared. The course will also describe sound measuring, recording, and analysis techniques.
Students with Disabilities:
In accordance with University policy and the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e., fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services at 309-298-2512 for additional services.
It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the information (including required forms, definitions, and time lines) contained in the following university web sites. Each student should access these web sites and carefully read the information they contain, your instructors will hold you responsible for knowing this information. If you have questions about any of the information contained in the web sites, ask your instructor:
Students Rights and Responsibilities:
Academic Dishonesty Policy:
Grade Appeal Policy:
The Copyright Act allows films to be screened in face-to-faceteaching situations, defined by specific criteria. To beeligible for the teaching exemption, the screening is limitedto students who are enrolled in a class in which the film is apart of systematic mediated instructional activities, the instructor is present, and the screening is an integral partof the classroom session. Playing films for the department, for honors students, or as a "film series" or lecture seriesdoes not qualify for the teaching exemption, but requires aPublic Performance License.
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Western Illinois University
Definition of Plagiarism
The faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences ascribes to a definition of plagiarism as expressed by V. E. McMillan in Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (Bedford/St.Martin’s Press, New York, pg 16)
“Plagiarism is the theft of someone else’s words, work, or ideas. It includes such acts as (1) turning in a friend’s paper and saying it is yours; (2) using another person’s data or ideas without acknowledgement; (3) copying an author’s exact words and putting them in your paper without quotation marks; and (4) using wording that is very similar to that of the original source but passing it off as entirely your own even while acknowledging the source.”
This includes information in textbooks or laboratory manuals, honors and master’s theses, all writing assignments, and images. The faculty of the Department attempt to monitor student-writing assignments (essay exams, papers, laboratory reports, and other writing assignments or exercises) for incidence of plagiarism. If plagiarism is found, the faculty will discuss the situation with the student and indicate to the student the penalty for this academic dishonesty. Potential penalties include those cited in the academic dishonesty section of the WIU web page,
Class Schedule
Class periods will be divided among the following activities:
1. Lecture on some aspect of sound production, reception,or function in various groups of animals.
2. Review of current literature in bioacoustics via student critique of scientific article using a PowerPoint presentation during class.
3. Hands-on bioacoustic techniques, demonstrations, and exercises.
4. Science News articles on some topic of bioacoustics given by students during class.
Outline of Lectures, Laboratories, and Exercises:
DateTopics
18 January
Lectures on: Terminology in acoustic studies:
Analysis methods (oscillogram, sonogram, & power spectra).
Introduction to sound analysis software, Spectrogram.
Exercise on variations in human voice characteristics.
Analysis of basic sound types, pulses, sweeps, pure tones, whistles, and harmonics.
Environmental Acoustics
Natural Ambient Sounds-shrimp, soniferous fish, rain, wind, sea
State, vegetation, Wenz curve,
Exercise 1: Basic Use of Sound Analysis Software, Data will be collected during class, but write-up should be completed outside class and due on 25 January, email to instructor.
25 January
Lectures on:Underwater Bioacoustic Studies:
Effects of Noise and standards for exposure to humans and
animals.
Factors Affecting Sound Transmission-SV profiles, sea state,
thermoclines, wind, and masking noise.
Sound Reception, factors influencing audition
Use of hydrophone, amplifier, and speakers for underwater bioacoustic studies.
Write-up for Exercise 1 due on 25 January, email to instructor
Exercise 2: Noise Mapping of Aquarium and WIUQC-Work in pairs to collect ambient airborne noise measurements of building environment, e.g., classroom, library, public during a presentation, animal viewing areas, penguin unit inside and outside, filtration system in basement, traffic noise outside. Data will be collected during class, but write-up should be competed outside of class and emailed to Dr. Thomas; due 1 February
1 February
Lectures on:Anatomy, Physiology, and comparison of Hearing abilities among
vertebrates:
Comparison of sound sensing anatomy among vertebrates
Comparison of sound sending physiology among vertebrates
Comparison of audiometric abilities among vertebrate
Write up for Exercises 2 due, email to Dr. Thomas
Exercise 3. Students Collect audiogram on themselves, conduct outside of class time
8February
Lectures on:Anatomy, Physiology, and Function of Sound Production
Active vs. Passive Sounds
Sex and Individual Variations in Sound Production
Age variations in sound production
Functions of sounds
Write up for Exercise 3 due, email to Dr. Thomas
Mid-term take home exam available, emailed to students, exam due on 15 February, submit answers by email to Dr. Thomas
15 February
Lectures on: Acoustic Behavior of Invertebrates, Amphibians, Fish & Birds:
Groups that are particularly soniferous.
Insect chorusing, mating, and territoriality.
Frog and toad chorusing, mating, and territoriality.
Fish chorusing, mating, territoriality
Bird song, duets, vocal ontogeny, territoriality, and mimicry.
Mid-term take home exam due
22 February
Lectures on: Acoustic Behavior of Terrestrial Mammals:
Mating, vocal ontogeny, and territorial vocal behavior.
Exercise 4: Equipment considerations, conduct outside of class time
1 March
Lectures on: Echolocation-bats, toothed whales, oil birds, shrews.
Marine mammals that are particularly soniferous.
Students should prepare for Exercise 5 and email sounds to Dr. Thomas in .wav format for class on 8 March
Write-up for Exercise 4 due, email to Dr. Thomas
Take Home Final Exam emailed to students
8 March
Equipment Considerations and data collection methods:
Sensing Equipment-microphones, hydrophones, accelerometers,
level meters
Sound Recording Equipment-Reel-to-reel recorders, cassette
recorders, digital recorders
Sound Analysis Equipment-Real time sonogram analyzers,
power spectrum analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
Playback methods
Use of Sounds for Scientific Research Questions
Population Assessment, Line-Transect studies
Exercise 5:“Name that Sound” contest.--Class identifies time of day and location of known biological recordings, using Sound Effects CD. Exercise 5 conducted during class, no write-up required.
15 March No class, WIU spring break
22 March No class; Take Home Final due, e-mailexam to Dr. Thomas
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Acoustic catalogs due as an MSWord document, emailed to Dr. Thomas. Do NOT mail your catalogs.
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ATTITUDE
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.
It will make or break a company, relationship, or home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past.
We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you, we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
By Charles Swindoll
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HOW TO AVOID PROCRASTINATION
1. Break down the task into very small chunks. It’s easier not to procrastinate when you have manageable tasks.
2. Set a time to finish one chunk. It’s helpful to think about what would prevent you from getting this task done and to strategize about how to avoid that. For example, it you’re likely to talk on the phone, unplug the phone or forward calls to your voice mail. If you’re too distracted at your house, go to the library.
3. Have some accountability around finishing the job. Tell someone your plans.
4. Have some small rewards for yourself. Find something you’re willing to give yourself it you succeed-and willing to go without if you don’t succeed.
5. If you do well, go on to the next chunk. If you’re not successful, analyze what went wrong and figure out what you could do differently the next time. And don’t give up or feel bad. “Sometimes failures can be very helpful if people are willing to look at what went wrong and learn from the Experience.
By Hirsch University of Minnesota.
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