BIOL 381 | Evolution, Ecology, and Other Theories of Kinship

How are different organisms connected? What characteristics do we use to classify and explain these connections across time and space? What cultural values have been used to construct current ecological theory? In this course we will experiment with what theories of ecology and evolution we can build by considering different philosophical starting points. Readings will include biology primary literature, articles from other fields, and from narrative, cultural knowledge, and political thought -- primarily from people Indigenous to the land currently known as North America. Laboratory work will heavily involve experimenting with and interpreting mathematical models of biology theory using R, and will also include the gathering of ecological data to use in our theoretical work.