Animal Thermal Biology

3.0 credits · Undergraduate

Whether hot or cold, temperature has a pervasive impact on animals. This class will roam across biophysics, physiology, energetics, ecology, and evolution to show how and why temperature is so important. We will compare endotherms and ectotherms, learn how animals regulate their body temperatures, how they respond to extreme environmental temperatures, and how evolution has shaped thermal biology. We will explore how temperature shapes animal distributions and responses to anthropogenic disturbance and changing climates. Examples will range from polar fishes to livestock, and from tiny insects to the largest dinosaurs.