UC Davis General Catalog, 2006-2008 - General Catalog - UC Davis

270 Evolution and Ecology
99. Special Study for Lower Division
Students (1-5)
(P/NP grading only.)
Upper Division Courses
100. Introduction to Evolution (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C, 101; Mathematics
16A, 16B, 16C or the equivalent; Statistics 13 or
100 (Statistics 100 recommended). A general survey
of the origins of biological diversity and evolutionary
mechanisms.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Begun,
Grosberg, Kopp, Nuzhdin
101. Introduction to Ecology (4)
Lecture—3 hours; lecture/discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C; Mathematics
16A, 16B, 16C or the equivalent. A general
survey of the principles of ecology.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)
Schoener, Strong, Stachowicz, Sanford, Gaylord,
Shapiro, Toft
102. Population and Quantitative Genetics
(4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 101, and Statistics 100 or 102,
and course 100. Evolution as caused by random
mating, genetic drift, natural selection, inbreeding,
migration, and mutation in theory and actuality. The
resemblance between relatives and consequences of
selection for quantitative traits. Application of these
ideas to topics such as the evolution of sex.—III. (III.)
Langley
103. Phylogeny and Macroevolution (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
course 100. Patterns and processes of evolution
above the species level. Homology, homoplasy, and
character evolution. Adaptive radiation; modes and
rates of diversification. Evolution of complexity, and
macroevolution of the genome. Principles of phylogeny
reconstruction and their application to macroevolutionary
studies.—III. (II.) Turelli
104. Community Ecology (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
course 101 or Environmental Science and Policy
100. Population growth and density dependence;
predation; exploitative, interference and apparent
competition; coexistence mechanisms; niches, spatial
and temporal variation; stability, diversity, and
productivity of food webs; applications to conservation
and biological control. Emphasis on quantitative
understanding through models, concepts, and empirical
evidence.
105. Phylogenetic Analysis of Vertebrate
Structure (4)
Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B. The structure of the
classes and subclasses of vertebrates is described
and interpreted in terms of phylogeny.—(I.) Wainwright
107. Animal Communication (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1B; Animal Behavior course
(Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior 102, Psychology
101, Animal Science 104, Entomology
104, or equivalent). How animals use songs,
dances, colors, chemicals, electricity and vibrations
to communicate. Mechanisms of signal production
and detection (sensory systems), theory of information
transfer and signal design, and the role of natural
selection in shaping communication.—I. (I.)
Patricelli
108. Systematics and Evolution of
Angiosperms (5)
Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B and 1C. Diversity and
classification of angiosperms (flowering plants) on a
world scale, and current understanding of the origin
of angiosperms and evolutionary relationships and
trends within them based on morphological and
molecular evidence. (Same course as Plant Biology
108.) GE credit: SciEng.—III. (III.) Doyle
112. Biology of Invertebrates (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences
1B; courses in systematics, ecology, and evolution
recommended. Survey of the invertebrate phyla,
emphasizing aquatic forms, and focusing on morphology,
development, natural history, ecology, and
phylogenetic relationships.—(II.) Grosberg, Stachowicz,
Sanford
112L. Biology of Invertebrates Laboratory
(2)
Laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite: course 112 concurrently.
Field and laboratory experience with representative
members of the major invertebrate phyla
discussed in course 112. Emphasis on comparative
morphology, natural history, ecology, and behavior
of living invertebrates. Two field trips required.—(II.)
Grosberg, Stachowicz, Sanford
115. Marine Ecology (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Environmental Science and Policy 100 or course
101 or consent of instructor. Processes affecting the
distribution, abundance, and diversity of plant and
animal life in the sea. Introduction to marine habitat
diversity and human impacts on marine ecosystems.—I.
Stachowicz
117. Plant Ecology (4)
Lecture—3 hours; fieldwork—3 hours. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C; Plant Biology 111
recommended. The study of the interactions between
plants, plant populations or vegetation types and
their physical and biological environment. Special
emphasis on California. Four full-day field trips and
brief write-up of class project required. (Same course
as Plant Biology 117.)—I. Rejmanek
119. Population Biology of Weeds (3)
Lecture—2 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C; introductory statistics
recommended. Origin and evolution of weeds,
reproduction and dispersal, seed ecology, modeling
of population dynamics, interactions of weeds and
crops, biological control. Laboratories emphasize
design of competition experiments and identification
of weedy species. (Same course as Plant Biology
119.) Not open for credit to students who have completed
Plant Biology 121.—(III.) Rejmanek
134. Herpetology (3)
Lecture—2 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: Biological
Sciences 1A, 1B; Evolution and Ecology 100 recommended.
The world-wide diversity of amphibians
and reptiles with emphasis on behavior, ecology,
functional morphology, and evolutionary history.
Offered in alternate years.—III. Shaffer
134F. Field Herpetology (2)
Fieldwork—5 hours; lecture/discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, concurrent
enrollment in course 134 and 134L. Multi-day field
trips to major California habitats focus on identification
of, and ecological experiments on, amphibian
and reptile species. Students work in teams to plan
experiments, collect and analyze data, write up
results and give oral presentations to the class.
Offered in alternate years.—III. Shaffer
134L. Herpetology Laboratory (2)
Laboratory—6 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences
1A, 1B, course 134 concurrently. The diagnostic
characteristics and functional attributes of
amphibians and reptiles, emphasizing ecological,
biogeographic and phylogenetic patterns. Field
experience with common species of reptiles and
amphibians in the Davis area. Offered in alternate
years.—III. Shaffer
138. Ecology of Tropical Latitudes (5)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour; extensive writing.
Prerequisite: one course in Biological Sciences,
Entomology, Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology,
Geography, or tropical experience, or consent
of instructor. Biological, physical, and human-related
aspects of the ecology of low latitudes. Distribution,
numbers, and relationships of tropical organisms.
Problems of development and conservation in the
context of ecological and evolutionary theory.
Offered in alternate years. GE credit: SciEng,
Wrt.—Shapiro
140. Paleobotany (4)
Lecture—3 hours; laboratory—3 hours. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C. Introduction to plant
fossil record, beginning with invasion of land in the
Silurian, emphasizing origin and evolution of major
groups and adaptations and changing composition
and distribution of floras in relation to plate tectonics
and climatic change.—I. (I.) Doyle
141. Principles of Systematics (3)
Lecture—2 hours; biweekly research projects. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 1B or 1C; course 100
recommended. Historical background, philosophical
rationale, contemporary approaches, and working
rules of biosystematics, including International Code
of Zoological Nomenclature. Offered in alternate
years. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.—(III.) Shapiro
147. Biogeography (4)
Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: Biological
Sciences 1A, 1B. Movements of terrestrial organisms.
The role of geologic, climatic, and biologic
changes in the geographic distribution of organisms.
Offered in alternate years.—(I.) Shapiro
149. Evolution of Ecological Systems (4)
Lecture—3 hours; term paper. Prerequisite: course
101 or Environmental Studies 100 (or the equivalent),
and course 100 (or the equivalent). Evolution
as an organizing force in natural communities. Coadaptation
in trophic and competitive relationships.
Ecology of polymorphisms, clines, and speciation.
Offered in alternate years.—I. Shapiro
150. Evolution of Animal Development (3)
Lecture—3 hours. Prerequisite: molecular and cellular
biology 150 or 163 or equivalent course in
developmental biology; may be waived for graduate
students with consent of instructor. Comparative
analysis of animal development and the genetic
basis of morphological diversification. Offered in
alternate years.—II. Kopp
175. Computational Genetics (3)
Lecture—2 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite:
Biological Sciences 101 and Statistics 100 or 102.
The use of computers to solve problems in genetics
and evolution. Introduction to a general purpose
computer language (Python), computational statistical
methods, and applications such as QTL mapping,
linkage detection, estimation of rates of
evolution, and gene finding.
180A-180B. Experimental Ecology and
Evolution in the Field (4-4)
Lecture/laboratory—3 hours; fieldwork—3 hours.
Prerequisite: course 100; course 101 or Environmental
Science and Policy 100. Experimental design in
field ecology. Students will critique primary literature,
design project, gather and analyze data. Students
required to write original research paper
based on field experiments. Offered in alternate
years. (Deferred grading only pending completion of
sequence.)—(II-III.) Strauss, Stanton
189. Introduction to Biological Research (1)
Discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: upper division
standing in Evolution and Ecology or related biological
science; consent of instructor. Introduction to
research methods in biology. Presentation and discussion
of research by faculty, graduate, and undergraduate
students. May be repeated for credit up to
a total of 3 units. (P/NP grading only.)—I, II, III. (I, II,
III.)
190. Undergraduate Seminar (2)
Seminar—2 hours. Prerequisite: upper division
standing in the biological sciences or a related discipline.
Student reports on current topics with emphasis
on integration of concepts, synthesis, and state-ofthe-art
research approaches. Reviews of literature
and reports of undergraduate research may be
included. May be repeated for credit. (P/NP grading
only.)—I, II, III. (I, II, III.) Shapiro
192. Internship (1-12)
Internship—3-36 hours. Prerequisite: completion of
84 units and consent of instructor. Work experience
off and on campus in all subject areas offered in the
Section of Evolution and Ecology. Internships supervised
by a member of the faculty. (P/NP grading
only.)
Quarter Offered: I=Fall, II=Winter, III=Spring, IV=Summer; 2007-2008 offering in parentheses
General Education (GE) credit: ArtHum=Arts and Humanities; SciEng=Science and Engineering; SocSci=Social Sciences; Div=Social-Cultural Diversity; Wrt=Writing Experience