ENY4004C: ENTOMOLOGY, Fall 2017
This course is designed for students interested in learning about the immense diversity of insects and related arthropods, and to gain an understanding of the natural history, classification, and evolution of insects. Students will learn to use diagnostic keys to identify insects to species and be able to differentiate among a diverse array of insect families from around the world. Students will learn valuable collection and preservation techniques and be able to distinguish key morphological characters in different insect lineages. This course will focus on diversity in adult forms and emphasize terrestrial habitats. Students are expected to attend field trips to learn multiple collecting techniques and explore insects in their natural environment. Students will also be expected to curate a portion of their collected material and make an insect collection emphasizing diversity. Prerequisite: BSC2011 or consent of instructor. Fall term, offered fall 2017 and alternating years thereafter.
PBC6677: MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS, Fall 2017
This course is for students who want to gain practical experience in modern phylogenetic theory, molecular marker design, sequence analysis techniques and the use of modern bioinformatic tools in sequence similarity, gene homology, modern phylogenetic reconstruction methods, divergence time estimation, understanding issues with gene tree discordance, and examining structure of populations using genetic data. Students will be encouraged to use data compiled from their own research to complete a class project. This class will include some lectures to provide background information but will emphasize discussions of pertinent literature and data analysis with relevant software programs. Students will be expected to bring their own laptops to class so they can acquire software and practice analyzing their data outside of class time. Class assignments will be tailored to the individual research goals of each student and will emphasize data analysis and technical writing for molecular phylogenetic methods. Students are encouraged to discuss their research goals with the instructor prior to the start of the class.
PCB6675: Evolutionary Biology, Fall 2018
The goal of this course is to provide students with a competent understanding of evolutionary theory. It will cover a diverse range of topics including the history of evolutionary thought, the fossil record, phylogenetics, speciation, population genetics, quantitative genetics, life history evolution, the evolution of sex, behavior, and genes and genomes.