Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Chair

Daniel I. Rubenstein

Director of Graduate Studies

Jeanne Altmann

Professor

Jeanne Altmann

Andrew P. Dobson

James L. Gould

Peter R. Grant

Lars O. Hedin, also Princeton Environmental Institute

Henry S. Horn

Leonid Kruglyak, also Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics

Simon A. Levin

Stephen W. Pacala

Daniel I. Rubenstein

David S. Wilcove, also Woodrow Wilson School

Visiting Professor

Robert M. May

Associate Professor

Laura F. Landweber

David Stern

Martin C. Wikelski

Assistant Professor

Michaela Hau

Lecturer with Rank of Professor

Stuart A. Altmann

Lecturer

B. Rosemary Grant

Associated Faculty

Bess B. Ward, Geosciences

Alan E. Mann, Anthropology

Ignacio Rodriguez-Iturbe, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Burton H. Singer, Woodrow Wilson School

 

Graduate study in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is designed to lead to the degree of doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.). Postdoctoral students interested in furthering their research background in these areas are also welcome. Students with an interest in behavioral neuroscience should see the Program in Neuroscience section below.

Prior Preparation

There are no rigid prerequisites for admission. The program accepts graduate students with previous specializations not only in biology or one of its branches, but also in chemistry, engineering, the humanities, mathematics, physics, and the social sciences. A student will find it useful, however, to have taken some basic courses in biology (including genetics) as well as calculus, organic chemistry, physics, and statistics. Deficiencies in these areas may be remedied through independent reading, summer courses, or other means. In addition, students may take basic courses during their first year if necessary.

Assessment of Academic Background

In order to determine if newly admitted students have sufficient knowledge of ecology, evolution, and behavior, an advisory committee consisting of three faculty members meets with each student to discuss his or her aims and academic background. Basic knowledge in each area should be equivalent to that gained in comprehensive upperclass undergraduate courses. During the first two years, members of the committee recommend courses and are available for consultation on planning and initiating research projects.

Course Work

In consultation with the director of graduate studies, students initially choose a temporary adviser with whom they plan individual programs of course work and research. Students may take graduate or undergraduate courses in the department, or relevant courses in any other department. During the first two years, students must take the department’s six core courses: EEB 502, 504, 505, 507, 521, and 522. Advanced topics courses and specialty courses are taken when appropriate. The department provides guidance to help students obtain the best preparation for their professional careers.

Research

New students are encouraged to begin research projects as soon as possible. In some cases the initial project becomes the thesis topic, but many students work on several smaller projects before beginning the subject of their dissertation. To help find a thesis topic and a supervisor, students can work closely during their first two years with a series of faculty members. Graduate students are expected to continue their research and training during the summers at Princeton, in the field, or at another laboratory.

By April 15 of the second year of graduate enrollment, students must submit a research report and a proposal to stand for the general examination.

General Examination

The general examination is normally taken toward the end of the second year of study. However, there is no prejudice against taking the examination after only one year of study if a student feels prepared.

The general examination consists of an oral examination, about three hours in length, conducted by the student’s dissertation committee, which is chosen in advance by the student and the adviser. The dissertation committee is normally composed of Princeton faculty members, and frequently includes members of other departments within the University. Should the student’s area of study warrant it, members of other institutions with special competence are invited to serve on the dissertation committee.

The student submits a written review of background information relevant to the thesis topic as well as a thesis proposal detailing research objectives, preliminary progress, and future plans. Questions asked during the oral examination focus on the thesis topic but also cover all relevant areas and the material covered in EEB 502 and 504.

Immediately following the examination, the dissertation committee confers and, with the exclusion of the adviser, recommends a grade (very good, pass, pass at the level of a terminal master’s degree, or failed). The student is informed of the recommendation, which is then sent to the Graduate School Office for final approval.

Dissertation and Final Public Oral Examination

After the general examination, the dissertation committee continues to meet with the graduate student at least once a year to discuss the student’s research. The student is expected to prepare a written summary of his or her work before each of these meetings. As the final step in the graduate program, the committee evaluates the dissertation and conducts the final public oral examination for the doctoral degree. Normally, degree requirements are completed in five years.

Teaching Experience

Each graduate student usually teaches for two terms in an undergraduate laboratory course. This gives students a helpful foretaste of an essential aspect of an academic career. If the student intends to remain at Princeton for the full five years, an additional year of teaching is required.

Financial Support

United States citizens should apply for non-University financial support in time for the support to be activated at the time of enrollment. Information about national fellowships is available from the Fellowship Office, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20418. Students who do not receive assistance fellowships from sources outside the University are eligible for support by Princeton University and other sponsors.

International students should first apply for support from their home governments, employers, or corporate sponsors, or the appropriate binational or international foundations. If unsuccessful, applicants should then request support through this program.

Research Facilities

The department is housed in Guyot Hall and Eno Hall, and students have access to all common research facilities in these laboratories. Members of the department also share the use of specialized equipment and facilities, including electron microscopy laboratories and electronics and machine shops. Students requiring computing facilities may use numerous personal computers and remote terminals for more complex machines located in each building.

In addition, there is the 99-acre Stony Ford Field Station, located five miles from campus, which provides opportunities for ecological and behavioral fieldwork. There are several other tracts of land within a 15-minute drive of the campus that are also available for ecological research, including 250 acres of forest on the University’s Forrestal campus and 250 acres of woods owned by the Institute for Advanced Study. The University is a trustee of the Mpala Research Center, located on a 50,000-acre ranch in Kenya, where tropical field projects are underway.

The Biology Library in Fine Hall holds more than 52,000 volumes and about 750 of the principal biological periodicals, as well as standard reference works and monographs. All this material is in open stacks. About 30,000 less frequently used biological books and periodicals can be retrieved from the Annex Library in one day. Computer-assisted research facilities and interlibrary loans are also available.

Program in Neuroscience

Interactions among neuroscience faculty in the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biology, and Psychology are formally recognized by the Program in Neuroscience, which makes possible a Ph.D. in biology and neuroscience for students enrolled in these departments. Please see program description.

Courses

EEB 502, 504 Fundamental Concepts in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior I and II

Staff

Advanced discussions of ecology, evolution, and behavior focus on 50 fundamental papers each term. Ecological topics include dynamics and structure of populations, communities, ecosystems, and conservation biology. Behavioral topics include instinct and learning, social behavior, physiological ecology, and the evolution of behavior. Evolutionary topics include speciation, evolutionary and quantitative genetics, molecular evolution, evolutionarily stable strategies, and evolution of development. (These are core courses.)

EEB 505 Seminar in Professional Topics

Jeanne Altmann

Intensive workshop on how to design research projects, write research proposals, and craft seminars and lectures that effectively present research findings, transform manuscripts into publications, and shape professional behavior so that issues of authorship, attribution of credit, and care for human and animal rights are addressed ethically and efficiently. (This is a core course.)

EEB 507 Recent Research in Population Biology

Peter R. Grant, Staff

Systematic reviews of recent literature in areas of ecology, evolution, and animal behavior are made. The general survey of literature is supplemented with detailed discussion of selected research papers of unusual importance and significance. (This is a core course.)

EEB 514 Biological Dynamics (see MOL 514)

EEB 515 Conservation Biology

Andrew P. Dobson

Introductory lectures on ecological principles underlying biodiversity; the dynamics of populations and ecosystems; the origin, maintenance, and loss of genetic variation; and the causes of extinction and speciation. These and other topics are developed in subsequent discussions and presentations. Examples include consequences of habitat fragmentation, theory and methodology of breeding of endangered species, and design criteria for nature preserves.

EEB 516 Topics in STEP: Conservation of Endangered Species and Ecosystems (see WWS 586b)

EEB 519 Theoretical Ecology

Simon A. Levin

The investigation of the ecological and evolution of natural communities through the use of mathematical models. Topics include complexity and stability, patterns of species abundance and diversity, theory of the niche, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and the dynamics of natural populations.

EEB 521 Tropical Ecology

Staff

Intensive three-week field course undertaken in January or February in a suitable tropical locality. There are readings, discussions, and individual projects. The content and location are varied to suit the needs of the participants. Students provide their own travel funds. (This is a core course.)

EEB 522 Colloquium on the Biology of Populations

Staff

Discussion 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 524 Topics in Evolution

Staff

Discussion of current topics in evolutionary biology, ranging from historical processes inferred from the fossil record to microevolution demonstrated by observation and experiment. Topics vary from year to year, depending on current controversial issues.

EEB 525 Quantitative Field Ecology

Henry S. Horn, Staff

Techniques for physical measurement, photography, mapping, and recording data. Development of simple but specialized statistics. Strategies for handling spatial and individual variations. Constructive criticism of statistics in the literature of ecology and behavior. Specific exercises are adapted to students’ needs. One afternoon per week there is a lecture, a seminar, a demonstration, and/or fieldwork. Prerequisite: a working knowledge of elementary statistics.

EEB 529 Topics in Neuroscience and Behavior

Staff

Lectures on selected topics of current interest in neuroscience and behavior. Emphasis is on areas of active current research; content reflects the interests of participating students.

EEB 530 Introduction to Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology

Bartley G. Hoebel and Barry L. Jacobs

Basic research methods and concepts in neurochemistry and neuropharmacology. The emphasis is on chemical neurotransmission. Topics include brain metabolism; structure and function of cell membranes; neuronal excitation and conduction; neurotransmitter synthesis; packaging, release, reuptake, and catabolism; neuropeptides, second messengers, role of chemical neurotransmission in physiology and behavior; and the mechanisms of action of psychoactive drugs.

EEB 531 Advanced Vertebrate Biology

Staff

Topics vary from year to year depending upon the instructor’s and the students’ special interests, and may include patterns of reproduction relating to breeding seasons, delayed births, parental care, mating, ovulatory cycles, age of sexual maturity, and viviparity.

EEB 532 Topics in Animal Behavior

James L. Gould or Daniel I. Rubenstein

Topics vary from year to year but cover areas of behavioral ecology, sociobiology, the ethology of learning, and the evolution of intelligence. Lectures delineating the fundamental issues surrounding each topic are followed by discussions of the relevant literature or by a small-group research project.

EEB 533 Topics in Ecology

Henry S. Horn or Stephen W. Pacala

Discussion of the growing points in population and community ecology is held. Topics vary from year to year and include subjects such as the regulation of population numbers, the organization of communities, and the variation in ecological processes at different spatial and temporal scales.

Pertinent Courses in Allied Departments and Programs

Psychology

511 Current Issues in Neuroscience and Behavior

Undergraduate Courses of Interest

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

308 Conservation Biology

309 Evolution and Genetics

311 Animal Behavior

313 Behavioral Ecology

314 Comparative Physiology

317 Ecology of Fields and Woodlands

320 Molecular Evolutionary Genetics

321 Introduction to Population and Community Ecology

322 Advanced Ecology

324 Theoretical Ecology

328 Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites and Infectious Diseases

404 Natural History of Mammals

417 Ecosystems and Global Change

Molecular Biology

342 Genetics