Courses

OEB 51 (formerly OEB110)
Biology and Evolution of Invertebrate Animals

Catalog Number: 7873 (Syllabus)
Gonzalo Giribet and Cassandra Extavour
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30; laboratory on Wednesdays with hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
An introduction to invertebrate diversity; will emphasize the development, adult anatomy and evolutionary relationships of the main phyla including sponges, mollusks and arthropods among others. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the similarities and differences in embryonic development, the broad diversity of animal forms and their adaptations to different ecosystems and how these phenomena shape animal evolution. The aim of this course is to understand animal diversity from a phylogenetic perspective as well as from a developmental and functional morphology point of view, to be able to put in context general concepts such as body layers or coeloms, ground patterns, and their role in animal evolution. Lectures will be complemented with a mandatory weekly lab, a field trip to different areas of outstanding marine diversity in Panama.
Prerequisite: LS1b, OEB10, OEB53 or permission of instructors
Enrollment limited to 15 students

OEB 181
Systematics

Catalog Number: 5459
Gonzalo Giribet and Charles Marshall
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30; laboratory on Wednesdays with hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Theory and practice of systematics, emphasizing issues associated with homology statements and alignments, methods of tree reconstruction, and hypothesis evaluation. The course combines theoretical considerations, paying especial attention to algorithmic aspects of phylogenetics, with the use of different computer programs for conducting evolutionary and phylogenetic analyses.
Prerequisite: OEB53, or permission of instructors required. Familiarity with computers, especially Mac and PC platforms.