Sensory Biology and Ecology—Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, Sound, and Beyond

This course explores how animals perceive and interact with their environments through diverse sensory systems. Students will examine the biological mechanisms underlying sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, as well as “super senses” beyond human experience, including magnetoreception, electroreception, and ultraviolet vision. Emphasizing sensory ecology and evolution, the course connects sensory processing to behavior, communication, adaptation, and environmental context across the animal kingdom. Learning is built through a mix of lectures, hands-on lab activities, primary literature discussions, observations in nature, and a creative, research-based semester project. Students will develop scientific literacy, gain experience with experimental thinking, and learn to evaluate how sensory systems shape ecological interactions and evolutionary outcomes. No prerequisites are required; the course is open to students from all backgrounds, including those interested in biology, psychology, medicine, or related fields.