Biol 862 - Theoretical Ecology
Instructors: Ed Connor, Tom Parker, Eric Routman, Tom Smith, and Greg Spicer
Meeting Time: Thursday 2:10 - 4:00
Location: Hensill Hall 831
This course is a seminar intended for graduate students and potentially advanced undergrduates. The course will focus on the interface between ecology and evolutionary biology, particularly how phylogenetic and evolutionary information may be useful in testing ecological theories, and in assessing the roles of ecological processes in evolution.
Students will be required to make a presentation, lead the class discussion, and prepare an annotated bibliography on one topic on the interface of ecology and evolutionary biology. The First three weeks of class will consist of lecture, readings and discussion by faculty. The remaining 13 weeks will be divided among the 5 topical areas listed below (and maybe others) depending on both faculty and student interests.
Tentative Syllabus and Class Topics
Week 1 - Introduction and Literature Survey Techniques
Week 2 - Phylogeny reconstruction (click here to obtain class reading {Chapter 2 in Judd et al.})
Week 3 - Population Differentiation and Models of Speciation
Student Presentations Begin
Weeks - Comparative Methods and Independent Contrasts
Weeks - Historical Effects on Community Structure
Weeks - Reciprocal Evolution/Coevolution
Weeks - Vicariance Biogeography and Phylogeography
Weeks - Speciation and Reinforcement