INVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Introduction to invertebrate diversity and biology, with emphasis on anatomy, development, and systematic relationships of the main animal phyla. Phyla are discussed in the context of major themes in animal evolution, such as the origin of tissue layers, the diversity of feeding mechanisms, the evolution of terrestrialization, patterns of diversification through time, and the conservation of transcriptional circuitry. Focus on animal diversity from a phylogenetic and developmental perspective.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: ( ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 and 102 ), ( ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 151 and 152 ) or BIOCORE 381 Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the major macroevolutionary trends spanning animal evolution through Phanerozoic time. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Interpret and analyze phylogenetic trees. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Interpret and analyze a gene regulatory network. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Design and execute a statistical test using R programming language. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the major macroevolutionary trends spanning animal evolution through Phanerozoic time. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Interpret and analyze phylogenetic trees. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Interpret and analyze a gene regulatory network. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Design and execute a statistical test using R programming language. Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027