Broad coverage of the fundamentals and recent developments in the field of primate behavior. An evolutionary perspective in the study of behavior is stressed, but is not limited to questions of evolutionary function. Constraints on evolutionary design inherent in the causal mechanisms underlying behavior (e.g. limits on cognition).

Prerequisite(s): Required course for first year Ph.D. students and second year M.A. students on academic track

Covers foundational topics and developments in many branches of ecology, including population, community, and ecosystems ecology.

Lecture course covering principal topics of evolutionary biology from genetics, genome organization, population and quantitative genetics, the history of evolutionary theory, systematics, speciation and species concepts, co-evolution, and biogeography.

Priority given to first-year students in EEB

An exploration of data-based models as tools for inference in ecological research. Emphasis on the formulation and development of scientific models, modern statistical and computational methods for estimating model parameters, and evaluation of alternate models using strength of evidence. Laboratory exercises challenge students to apply these methods to real ecological data, including their own research. The course also explores the philosophical underpinnings of different statistical schools of thought including frequentist, likelihoodist, and Bayesian approaches.

Prerequisite(s): Some background in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and/or Statistics is recommended.

An introduction to the theoretical principles and practical application of statistical methods in ecology and evolutionary biology. The course will cover the conceptual basis for a range of statistical techniques through a series of lectures using examples from the primary literature. The application of these techniques will be taught through the use of statistical software in computer-based laboratory sessions.

This course will help guide E3B Ph.D. students towards candidacy by teaching them the skills necessary to be effective and independent scientists. Students will conduct an extensive literature review, write a preliminary dissertation proposal, and present their research ideas to the group on multiple occasions. Students will learn how to give and receive constructive written and oral feedback on their work.

A survey of vascular plants with emphasis on features of greatest utility in identifying plants in the field to the family level. This will be coupled with a survey of the major plant communities of northeastern North America and the characteristic species found in each. The course will consist of one lecture and one laboratory per week with several lab sessions extended to accommodate field trips to local regional natural areas.

Mandatory for all 1st year E3B MA students in thesis based program.

Incoming MA students aiming for the thesis-based program are guided through the process of defining a research question, finding an advisor, and preparing a research proposal. By the end of the semester the students will have a written research proposal to submit to potential advisors for revision. Subject to a positive review of the research proposal, students are allowed to continue with the thesis-based program and will start working with their advisor. The course will also provide an opportunity to develop basic skills that will facilitate the reminder of the student’s stay at E3B and will help in their future careers.

Incoming MA students aiming for the thesis-based program are guided through the process of defining a research question, finding an advisor and preparing a research proposal. By the end of the semester the students will have a written research proposal which will be submitted to potential advisors for revision. Subject to a positive review

From Aristotle to the Bell Curve, this course examines the history of race as a biological concept. We will explore the complex relationship between the scientific study of biological differences, real, imagined, or invented and the historical and cultural factors involved in the development and expression of “racial ideas.”

Enrollment limited to 15.

Prerequisite(s): upper-division undergraduate or graduate status.

Introduction to phylogenetic relationships, evolution and ecology of the major groups of arthropods, with emphasis on insects. Lab: identification of common families of spiders and insects of the northeastern United States.

Undergraduate Environmental Biology majors have priority. Enrollment limited to 25.

Prerequisite(s): E3B courses in Ecology, Evolution, and/or Biodiversity or instructor approval.

Survey of current advances in scientific research that focuses on the role biodiversity plays in governing ecological processes (e.g. biogeochemistry, resisting invasion by exotic species, or stabilizing communities) and ecosystem services (e.g. soil fertility, water quality, climate regulation).