BIOL 5312: Theory of Systematics

Course Description

This course investigates the theory of classification, phylogenetic analysis, systematic biology, and their relation to systematic practice. The course covers goals and schools of systematics, characters and homology, analysis of molecular and morphological data and underlying assumptions, species concepts, classification, naming, and the connections between evolutionary biology and systematics. The course is appropriate for upper level undergraduates & graduate students in all disciplines (animal, plant, and microbial) as an introduction to systematic methods. Three hours of lecture per week.