Biology 316: Transformations in Vertebrate Evolution

This course explores major transformations that vertebrates have undergone in the course of their 500 million year history. For example, how and why did fishes first make the transition to land? How and why did whales (and ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, sea turtles and others) make the transition back to water from land? How did flying birds evolve from running dinosaurs? Drawing on the primary literature, from multiple levels of biological organization and integrating research from a range of disciplines (e.g. palaeontology, developmental biology, phylogenetic systematics, ecology), students will explore these and other important transformations in the evolutionary history of vertebrates.  Applies to the Ecology/Evolution major requirement.