Undergraduate Courses
Please note that not all courses are given every year. To see which courses are offered in a given year please check the Registrar's Directory of Classes.
Prefixes: EEEB = Environmental
Biology. ANTH =
Anthropology
EEEB W1001. Biodiversity. 3 pts.
D. Melnick. This course will use genetics,
evolutionary biology, and ecology to address three
simple questions: What is biological diversity? Where
can we find it? How can we conserve it? No previous
knowledge of science or mathematics is assumed.
EEEB V1010. The Human Species: Its Place in
Nature. 3 pts. J. Shapiro.
Designed to
acquaint students with a variety of scientific
disciplines through the investigation of human
evolution, specifically Darwin's theory of evolution;
Mendel's principles of inheritance; major patterns of
organic evolution; primate behavior, ecology, and
evolutions; and the fossil remains and evolutionary
trends in human evolution. Taught every fall.
EEEB V1011. Behavioral Biology of the Living
Primates. 3 pts. M. Cords.
Study of non-human
primate behavior from the perspective of phylogeny,
adaptation, physiology and anatomy, and life history.
Focus on the four main problems primates face: finding
appropriate food, avoiding being eaten themselves,
reproducing in the face of competition, and dealing with
social partners. Taught every spring.
EEEB W2001. Environmental Biology, I: Molecules to
Cells. 4 pts. S. Naeem. Introductory
biology course for majors in biology or environmental
biology, emphasizing the cell and molecular context of
modern biology.
EEEB W2002. Environmental Biology, II: Organisms
to Ecosystems. 4 pts. M. Palmer.
Second
semester of introductory biology sequence for majors in
environmental biology and environmental science,
emphasizing the ecological and evolutionary aspects of
biology. Also intended for those interested in an
introduction to the principles of ecology and
evolutionary biology.
EEEB W2010. Tropical Biology. 4 pts D. Rubenstein. Study ecology, evolution, and conservation biology in one of the world’s most biologically spectacular settings, the wildlife-rich savannas of Kenya. Students will spend their time immersed in an intensive field experience gaining sophisticated training in fieldwork and biological research. The majority of the coursework will be completed during a three week field trip to Kenya occurring after the end of the semester (May/June). Note that there is a ~$2,000 lab fee to cover all in-country expenses, and students are also responsible for the cost of airfare to and from Kenya (~$1,500). For more information click here.
EEEB W3011. Behavioral Biology of Living Primates.
3 pts. M. Cords. Pre-requisites: introductory biology
course in organismal biology and instructor's permission.
Survey of non-human primate behavior from the perspective
of phylogeny, adaptation, physiology and anatomy, and
life history. Focus on the four main problems primates
face: finding appropriate food, avoid being eaten themselves,
reproducing in the face of competition, and dealing
with social partners. Recitation section required.
Taught every spring.
EEEB W3020. Introduction to Statistics for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. 3
pts. M. Palmer. Prerequisites: Some background in ecology, evolutionary biology, and/or statistics is recommended. An introduction to the theoretical principles and practical application of statistical methods in ecology and evolutionary biology. The course will cover the conceptual basis for a range of statistical techniques through a series of lectures using examples from the primary literature. The application of these techniques will be taught through the use of statistical software in computer-based laboratory sessions.
EEEB W3030. Biology, Systematics, and Evolutionary History of "The Apes." 3 pts. J. Shapiro. Pre-requisites: V1010, 1011 or equivalent. This course focuses on our closest relatives, the extant apes of Africa and Asia. We will explore the nature and extent of the morphological, genetic, and behavioral variablility within and among these forms. Using this framework, we will analyze questions of systematics and trace the evolutionary development of the hominoids during the Miocene, the epoch that saw the last common ancestor of today's gibbons, orang utans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. Taught every other year/intermittently.
EEEB W3087. Conservation Biology. 3
pts.M. Palmer, S. Spector. The biological principles
relevant to the conservation of biodiversity at the
genetic, population, and community levels. Because
conservation biology is a cross-disciplinary field, some
of the social, philosophical, and economic dimensions of
biological conservation are also addressed.
EEEB W3142. Evolutionary Ecology. 3
pts. Instructor To Be Announced. Enrollment limited to
30. Prerequisite: introductory biology. Environmental
biology majors have preference. An integrated approach
to ecology and evolution, with particular emphasis on
phylogeny and spatial patterns of species diversity in
space and time. Coevolution, speciation, extinction,
phylogenetic reconstruction, species-area relationships,
and conservation applications.
EEEB W3204. Dynamics of Human Evolution. 4 pts. J. Shapiro. Seminar focusing on recent advances in the study of human evolution. Topics include changing views of human evolution with respect to early hominin behavior, morphology, phylogeny and evolutionary theory. Enrollment limited to 13. Taught every other year.
EEEEB W3208. Explorations in Primate Anatomy. 3 pts. J. Shapiro. Prerequisite EEEB V1010 or V1011 or instructor approval. Introductory laboratory course in primate skeletal anatomy. From tarsiers to talapoins, guenons to gibbons, through hands-on analysis students explore the amazing range and diversity of the living members of this order. Enrollments limited to 14. Taught every other year.
EEEEB W3910. The Neandertals. 4 pts. J. Shapiro. Prerequisite EEEB V1010. One hundred fifty years after discovery, Neandertals remain one of the most enigmatic hominin taxa. What do we understand today about their biology, subsistence, culture, cognitive abilities and eventual fate? Are they simply extinct relatives or do their genes continue in many of us today? In this seminar students critically examine the primary research as we attem;pt to find answers to some of these questions. Taught every other year or every third year in rotation with Dynamics of Human Evolution. Enrollment limited to 13.
EEEB W3215. Forensic Osteology. 3 pts. J. Shapiro. An exploration of the hidden clues in your skeleton. Students learn the techniques of aging, sexing, assessing ancestry, and the effects of disease, trauma and culture on human bone.
[Students may take this before but not after either semester of human skeletal biology.] Enrollment limited to 15. Taught every other year.
EEEB V3940. Current Controversies In Primate
Behavior and Ecology. 4 pts. M. Cords.
Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisite: ANEB V1011 or
the equivalent. Critical in-depth evaluation of selected
issues in primate socioecology, including adaptationism,
sociality, sexual competition, communication, kinship,
dominance, cognition, and politics. Emphasizes readings
from original literature. Taught approximately every 3 years.
ANTH V3970. Biological Basis of Human
Variation. 4 pts. R. Holloway. Enrollment limited to
20. Prerequisite: EEEB V1010 and the instructor's
permission. The biological evidence for the modern human
diversity at the molecular, phenotypical, and behavioral
levels, as distributed geographically.
EEEB W3991x and W3992y Senior Seminar
4 pts. M. Palmer
EEEB W3993x and W3994y Senior Seminar 4 pts. J. Shapiro
EEEB W3997x Independent studies
1-3 pts. Faculty.
EEEB W3998y Independent studies
1-3 pts. Faculty.
Check Graduate offerings for courses
open to undergraduate
students.
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