ANNOUNCEMENTS
Course Rally:
Based in part on student
demand, and because the field of phylogenetics is growing at such a fast
rate, Professor David Lindberg and I have split the material covered in
our previous single course (IB 200,Principles of Phylogenetics) into two
new courses. This semester we are teaching IB 200B (Principles of
Phylogenetics: Ecology and Evolution),which expands on the "tree-using"
comparative methods material we used to squeeze into the second half of
IB 200 (for entry-level students, the firsttwo weeks will consist of a
review of basic phylogenetics). IB 200A(Principles of Phylogenetics:
Systematics) will be taught a year from now,and will include the material
on "tree-building" that used to be covered in the first half of the old
IB 200, expanded to include more on molecularsystematics and on quantitative
morphometrics.
We will continue to teach these in alternate springs (IB 200B inodd years; IB 200A in even years). The two courses obviously relate toeach other, yet are independent (i.e., they can be taken in either order,or alone). Hard core systematists might want IB 200A alone, while ecologists, behaviorists, and functional morphologists might just want IB200B. A real afficianado of phylogenetics can take both. We hope that thegreater flexibility offered by this arrangement will allow more students toadd these important principles to their research programs.
If you had the old IB 200,
you can't take either of the new courses for credit, but you are welcome
to sit in if you wish.
Don't forget to sign up for the list-serve
to hear all the exciting announcements!!
Don't forget about our Discussion of Project Progress in class on Thursday
February 25
readings are now available at the IB office (including Gould and Lewontin
for next Tuesday's discussion)
on
Thursday March 18 will be in class
check our quiz example for an idea of the test's style ,although
it is very unlikely that any of those questions will appear on your exam.