Biology of Sex

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Birds do it. Bees do it. Bdelloid rotifers are famous because they don’t do it. Sexual reproduction is expensive, risky, in many cases not necessary, and yet it is nearly ubiquitous. In this course we will explore the diversity of ways that individuals exchange genetic material, with a focus on how evolution shapes the nature and outcome of these interactions. We will consider topics such as sex determination, sex changing, sex ratios, mating systems, reproductive trade-offs, sexual selection, and the persistence of sexual reproduction itself. The goals of this course are to gain an appreciation for the tremendous variation in nature, become aware of current research about topics related to sexual reproduction, and to gain a greater understanding of experimental and theoretical approaches to testing evolutionary ideas.