ANT 206/EEB 306/GEO 208Human Evolution(EC)An investigation of the evidence and background of human evolution. Emphasis will be placed on the examination of the fossil and other evidence for human evolution and its functional and behavioral implications.
MOL 214/EEB 214Intro to Cellular & Molecular Biology(ST)Important concepts and elements of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology, are examined in the context of classic experiments. During the last four weeks of the semester, the class will split into topic-based sections taught by different faculty members in the following areas: cell biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, microbiology, and development. Students will choose to concentrate in 2 of the 6 sections. This course is strongly recommended for students intending to major in the biological sciences and satisfies the biology requirement for entrance into medical school.
GEO 255/AST 255/CHM 255/EEB 255Life in the Universe(QR)This course introduces students to a new field, Astrobiology, where scientists trained in biology, chemistry, astronomy and geology combine their skills to discover life's origins and to seek extraterrestrial life. Topics include: the origin of life on Earth, the prospects of life beneath the surfaces of Mars and Europa, a moon of Jupiter; extra-solar planets nearby that offer targets for NASA space telescopes searching for life.
EEB 301/WOM 301Evolution and the Behavior of the Sexes(STX)This course, designed to capitalize on diverse student backgrounds, will use principles of evolutionary biology and behavioral ecology to examine reproductive strategies and their effect on social systems. We will draw examples from group-living mammals, particularly nonhuman primates, and from human populations. Topics will include mate selection, parenting, ontogeny of sex differences, sexual diversity, social bonds and cooperation, and intersexual conflict and aggression.
ENV 304/ECO 328/EEB 304Disease Ecology, Economics, and Policy(SA)The dynamics of the emergence and spread of disease arise from a complex interplay between disease ecology, economics, and human behavior. Lectures will provide an introduction to complementarities between economic and epidemiological approaches to understanding the emergence, spread, and control of infectious diseases. The course will cover topics such as drug-resistance in bacterial and parasitic infections, individual incentives to vaccinate, the role of information in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the evolution of social norms in healthcare practices.
CEE 307/EEB 305Field Ecohydrology(QR)This three-week course, offered as part of a four-course study abroad semester, takes place at Princeton University's Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya. The course will provide an introduction to the principles of hydrological sciences through the development and application of instrumentation for characterizing surface/subsurface hydrological dynamics in field settings. Lectures and field activities will address the theory of operation, design, and implementation of methods used to quantify hydrological patterns and processes.
EEB 308Conservation BiologyA detailed application of ecological principles to the conservation of biological resources, including island biogeography, populations genetics and viability, and landscape ecology. Analysis of case studies in conservation.
EEB 314Comparative PhysiologyThis course explores the mechanisms of animal function in the contexts of evolution, ecology and behavior. We will cover the physiological bases of osmoregulation, circulation, gas exchange, digestion, energetics, motility, and neural and hormonal control of these and other processes in a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate animals, thereby revealing general principles of animal physiology as well as specific physiological adaptations to differing environments.
EEB 320/MOL 330Molecular Evolutionary GeneticsHow and where did life evolve? On Earth or Mars or elsewhere? This course will discuss the evolution of the molecules that sustain life (DNA, RNA and proteins) at both the micro and macroevolutionary levels. We will explore the role of these molecules in the origin and continued evolution of life. Topics inlcude the origin of eukaryotes and organelles, the evolution of development, comparative genomics, molecular population genetics, quantitative genetics and human evolution. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial.
EEB 324Theoretical Ecology(QR)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, immunology and epidemiology, population genetics and evolutionary theory.
EEB 328Ecol & Epidemiology-Parasites & DiseasesAn 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.
EEB 332/LAS 350Pre-Columbian People& Their Environments(SA)The pre-European history of Amerind cultures and their associated environments in the New World tropics will be studied. Topics to be covered 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. Field and laboratory experiences will incorporate methods and problems in field archaeology, paleoenthnobotany and paleoecology, and archaeozoology.
EEB 338/LAS 351Tropical Biology(ST)"Tropical Biology" is an intensive, three-week field course given at four sites in Panama, examining the origins, maintenance and major interactions among terrestrial plants and animals. The course provides the opportunity to appreciate (1) floral and faunal turnover among four rainforest sites (beta-diversity); and (2) floral and faunal turnover along vertical gradients, from ground to upper canopy, at two rainforest sites (vertical stratification). Students carry out individual projects at the sites. Fieldwork is supported by six orientation walks that introduce participants to common orders and families of plants and arthropods.
EEB 346Biology of Coral Reefs(ST)This field and lecture course provides an in-depth introduction to the biology of tropical coral reefs, with an emphasis on reef fish ecology and behavior. Each day begins with a lecture, followed by six to eight hours on the water, and ends with data analysis, reading and a discussion of recent papers. Students learn to identify fishes, corals and invertebrates, and learn a variety of field methods including underwater censusing, mapping, videotaping and the recording of inter-individual interactions. Each year group projects will vary depending on previous findings and the interests of the faculty.
EEB 350Vertebrate Tropical EcologyThis field course will address the life history characteristics of tropical vertebrates and the physiological traits that underlie those. Students will learn how tropical life histories differ from those in the temperate zone and will use eco-physiological techniques while conducting experiments and observations at a Smithsonian Institute field station. In particular, students will trap wild vertebrates, conduct baseline behavioral and physiological measurements, attach radio transmitters to individuals and monitor them over time in the forest. Students will then analyze the data and write a scientific manuscript.
EEB 380Ecology &Conservation of African Landsca(ST)Only six percent of Africa's land area (containing a fraction of its biodiversity) is protected, and these areas are rarely large enough to sustain wildlife populations. Mostly, wildlife must share land with people also facing survival challenges. This course will explore how wildlife and people interact in Kenya, where new approaches to conservation are being developed. Lectures will cover the ecology of tropical grasslands and first principles underlying conservation and management of these landscapes. Field trips and projects will examine the dynamics between human actions and biodiversity conservation.
EEB 404Natural History of Mammals(ST)Introduction to concepts, methods, and material of comparative natural history, with African mammals as focal organisms. Perspectives include morphology, identification, evolution, ecology, behavior and conservation. Observations and experiments on a variety of species in different habitats and at a range of scales will provide insights into the adaptive value and underlying mechanistic function of mammalian adaptations. This course will be taught in Kenya at the Mpala Research Center and nearby field sites.
EEB 414/MOL 414Genetics of Human PopulationsThis advanced seminar will survey the evolutionary history of modern humans and the genetic basis of variation in our species through reading and discussion of classic and contemporary primary literature. Topics include the evolutionary origins of modern human populations, signatures of natural selection in the human genome, and approaches for discovering genetic variants that affect disease susceptibility and variation in normal traits. Significant emphasis will be placed on very recent advances made possible by the human genome project.
EEB 521Tropical EcologyThis intensive three week field course takes place during January in a suitable tropical locality. Readings, discussions, and individual projects. The content and location are varied to suit the needs of the participants. Students provide their own travel funds.
EEB 522Colloquium on the Biology of PopulationsDiscussion of the central problems of population biology and approaches that have proved fruitful. Topics ranging throughout ecology, evolution, biogeography, and population genetics are usually related to presentations by visiting speakers and students. (This is a core course.)
EEB 532Topics in Animal BehaviorAn examination of Developmental Systems Theory, a conceptual framework that seeks to replace dichotomous accounts (nature-nurture, genes-environment, biology-culture) of organismal development. Major ideas for study include: 1) every trait is produced by the interaction of many developmental resources; 2) the significance of any one developmental resource is contingent upon the rest of the developing system; 3) an organism inherits a wide range of resources that interact to construct that organism's life cycle; and 4) evolution is not a matter of organisms being molded by environment, but of organism-environment systems changing over time.