BIOL 559: Systematic Methods and Applications
Dr. James Albert and Dr. Joe Neigel
Syllabus

Course Description: This course explores the theory and procedures of modern systematic analysis. The course is designed to promote the themes common among taxonomic disciplines, as is currently emphasized by interdisciplinary systematic societies such as the Society for Systematic Biology, the Willi Hennig Society, and the Systematics Association. Lectures introduce the fundamental terms and concepts, and review the historical development of the field.  Topics include Systematics and Classification,  Taxa: Species,  Taxa: Clades, Systematic data: Phenotypes, Systematic data: Molecular sequences, Systematic methods: Parsimony, Systematic methods: Model based, Data matrices, Dealing with homoplasy: general, Dealing with homoplasy: molecules, Likelihood approaches, Bayesian approaches, From dendrograms to phylogenies ,  Reality checks, Ancestral character states, Adaptation,  Independent Contrasts,  Coevolution, Macroevolution, Biogeography, Phylogeography,  Phylogenomics,  Systematics and conservation biology.  

Objectives: An overview of modern methods of biological classification, phylogenetic inference, and taxonomy. The course will emphasize applications with both morphological and molecular data, and will include lab exercises with a variety of data types and software.