斯特灵大学

The Faculty of Natural Science is a friendly, vibrant, and dynamic place in which to learn and research. We have strong contacts with external conservation and environmental organisations who also contribute to the undergraduate experience. As a Biological and Environmental Sciences student, you will have the opportunity to participate in our well-established reciprocal exchange programme with the University of Guelph in Canada where you will take subjects equivalent to those at Stirling. In addition, there are exchange opportunities with a range of universities around the world. Animal Biology is the study of the enormous variety of animal life on Earth. It examines the evolutionary origins of the various animal groups, their fundamental structure, physiology, ecology, behaviour and conservation. The degree in Animal Biology allows students to train broadly in several aspects of this field, with a major emphasis on the biology of whole animals. We offer an exciting and integrated course of study including such themes as: • Animal behaviour• Animal physiology • Community ecology • Conservation biology • Host-parasite dynamics and other symbiotic interactions • Molecular and cell biology• Population and evolutionary genetics • Sexual selection and mating system evolution • Phylogenetics, taxonomy and speciation. Training is provided both on laboratory and field skills. As well as the beautiful campus in which the University is situated, we have a wide range of superb landscapes and habitats on our doorstep, and make the most of these throughout the degree. Final-year projects are a challenging yet valuable part of our degrees, and some have been so good they were published. These are supervised by a member of staff in the Faculty but may also be carried out in conjunction with an external organisation. Examples include: • Reducing stereotypical behaviour of captive animals – giraffe behaviour and enrichment techniques at Blair Drummond Safari Park • Sexually transmitted disease and ladybird immune competence • Effects of mating systems on female reproductive anatomy• Invertebrate community responses to dam building by beavers • Buzz pollination and bee learning.