BIOL4119 - Biological Basis of Animal Diversity

Animals display extraordinary diversity in their morphology, physiology, and behavior. Traditionally, these topics have been mostly studied from an ecological perspective. This course will focus on recent advances and discoveries that address the underlying biological mechanisms of animal diversity. Specific topics will include the genetic, molecular, and developmental basis of animal morphological diversity, and genetic, molecular, and neural basis of animal behavioral diversity. Students will gain an understanding of how animal diversity is encoded at the different levels of biological organization. The course will be comprised of lectures to introduce topics, discussion of primary literature, and in-class activities.