In this course, we will take a leap back in time to the origins of life, discuss the evolution of major organismal lineages, and investigate biological processes at different scales, from cellular to ecological. Through the lectures, labs, and in-class discussions, students will make connections between fundamental biological concepts and biodiversity, and will become familiar with how scientific knowledge is generated.

Developmental biology is a topic full of fantastic questions: how does a single egg transform into an organism with many cells and tissue types? What controls gene expression? What is the interplay between environmental signal and plant hormones? In this course, plant and animal development will be studied at the level of genes, cells and tissues, in model organisms such as sea urchins, ferns, chicks and lilies. The laboratory is at the heart of the course, and classwork is designed around the live material students will meet each week.

This course offers plant identification and natural history, emphasizing native and introduced trees and wildflowers. On- and off-campus field trips.