Global Arc

Current and classical theoretical issues in ecology and evolutionary biology. Emphasis will be on theories and concepts and on mathematical approaches. Topics will include population and community ecology, epidemiology and evolutionary theory. Two lectures, one preceptorial/computer laboratory. Prerequisite: one year of calculus.

How can mathematical modeling help to illuminate biological processes? This course examines major topics in biology through the lens of mathematics, focusing on the role of models in scientific discovery. Students will learn how to build and analyze models using a variety of mathematical tools. Particular emphasis will be placed on evolutionary game theory. Specific topics will include: the evolution of cooperation and of social behavior from bacteria to humans; the evolution of multicellularity; the somatic evolution of cancer; virus dynamics (within host and within populations); and multispecies interactions and the evolution of mutualisms.

Why is there immunological polymorphism in animal populations? Why do immune systems work as they do? This course examines the theories of host-parasite coevolution, including optimal host resource allocation to immune defense in light of parasite counter-strategies, and assesses the empirical evidence by which these theories are tested. Students look at the evolutionary ecology of mechanisms used by immune systems to recognize and kill parasites, finding similarities across animal taxa. Finally, students will map immune mechanisms onto host phylogenies to understand the order in which different mechanisms arose over evolutionary time.

An introduction to the biology of viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, arthropods, and plants that are parasitic upon other animal and plant species. The major emphasis will be on the parasites of animals and plants, with further study of the epidemiology of infectious diseases in human populations. Studies of AIDS, anthrax, and worms, and their role in human history, will be complemented by ecological and evolutionary studies of mistletoe, measles, myxomatosis, and communities of parasitic helminths. Limited to students in the Tropical Ecology Program in Panama.

Sensory ecology investigates how animals extract information from the physical and social environment. All animals acquire and use information, but the sensory systems involved vary dramatically. Bats echolocate. Birds see ultraviolet colors. Electric eels shock their prey. Spiders communicate chemically. How do these processes work, and why did they evolve? In this course, we explore the mechanisms and functions of animal communication. We first review the different senses, emphasizing physiology and neurobiology. We then examine how animals use sensory information in foraging, mate choice, cooperation, anti-predator defense and mimicry.

In this course, students will apply evolutionary theory to empirical genomic data (collected prior to this course due to COVID requirements). Working in groups remotely, teams will analyze RADseq data to address ecological and evolutionary questions. Students will also become immersed in the professional-level practices for scientific writing. We will discuss evolutionary topics through lectures, discussions, and assigned readings. The goal is that each student project could tackle a different question rooted within molecular ecology, and would produce a written scientific report formatted for a peer-review journal.

An intensive course on the pre-European history of Amerind cultures and their environments in the New World tropics. Topics include the people of tropical America; development of hunting/gathering and agricultural economies; neotropical climate and vegetation history; and the art, symbolism, and social organization of native Americans. Daily lectures, field trips, and laboratory experiences and incorporates methods and problems in field archaeology, paleoethnobotany and paleoecology, and archaeozoology. Limited to students in the Tropical Ecology Program in Panama. This course does not count as an EEB departmental. Prerequisite: EEB 321.

This intensive field course, at various sites in Panama, examines the origins, maintenance, and major interactions among elements of the tropical-terrestrial biota. Study topics include identification of common orders and families of neotropical organisms; tropical climate and hydrology; biotic interactions; and contemporary and historical factors in shaping tropical landscapes, with emphasis on the Isthmian Landbridge and subsequent floral and faunal interactions. Two hours of lecture/discussion, six hours of laboratory, and two hours of data analysis daily. Limited to students in the Tropical Ecology Program in Panama. Prerequisite: 321.

Resilience theory provides a framework for understanding the dynamics of complex social-ecological systems in order to assess and promote sustainability. This course will apply key concepts from resilience theory (e.g., feedbacks, thresholds, regime shifts, adaptive cycles, panarchy) as we investigate the hydrological, ecological, and social dynamics that characterize the social-ecological systems of African pastoralists in water-limited landscapes. Topics will include: ecohydrology of land degradation, ecological interactions in dry savannas, human ecology of pastoralism, and challenges in common pool resource management.

This course covers the ecology and conservation of tropical savanna communities and ecosystems. Focused on Serengeti as the classic African savanna and studies from other parts of Africa. Lectures will highlight the ecology of key groups of organisms and their interactions in Serengeti. We also look at the geological and human history of Tanzania and East Africa. We'll conclude the course by examining the central issues in the conservation of Serengeti and other savanna grasslands. We use a wide range of historical and contemporary movies; books and scientific papers to develop an intensive understanding of this iconic ecosystem.