This course provides a brief introduction to ecology, evolution and environmental biology with an emphasis on key concepts, current research, and opportunities for undergraduates. The course is taught jointly by the faculty in the department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B), with each session covering a different aspect of research and/or teaching in the department. Students are expected to complete weekly readings and participate in discussion both in class and online.
Prerequisites: Corequisite EEEB UN1111 Study of non-human primate behavior from the perspective of phylogeny, adaptation, physiology and anatomy, and life history. Focuses on the four main problems primates face: finding appropriate food, avoiding being eaten themselves, reproducing in the face of competition, and dealing with social partners. Along with Human Origins - Evolution, this serves as a core required class for the EBHS program.
Prerequisites: EEEB UN2001 Second semester of introductory biology sequence for majors in enviromnental biology and environmental science, emphasizing the ecological and evolutionary aspects of biology. Also intended for those interested in an introduction to the principles of ecology and evolutionary biology.
Prerequisites: Science majors should have completed one introductory course that covers biology, ecology, evolution or conservation priort to taking this course. Non-science majors should have some exposure to these same topics but are not required to have taken courses in advance of this class.
Prerequisites: EEEB UN1010 Human Species/HO&E, ANTH UN1007 Origins of Human Society, or the equivalent. Seminar focusing on recent advances in the study of human evolution. Topics include changing views of human evolution with respect to early hominin behavior, morphology, culture and evolution. Either Dynamics of Human Evolution or Neandertals is taught every other year.
Prerequisites: no prior experience with skeletal anatomy required. Not appropriate for students who have already taken either EEEB GU4147 or EEEB GU4148. An exploration of the hidden clues in your skeleton. Students learn the techniques of aging, sexing, assessing ancestry, and the effects of disease, trauma and culture on human bone.
This is a seminar highlighting current topics in human biological variation. Student presentations and directed discussions will explore the evidence for human variation at the molecular, phenotypic, and behavioral levels, how that diversity is distributed geographically, and the factors responsible.
Guided, independent, indepth research experience culminating in the senior essay. Weekly meetings are held to review work in progress, to share results through oral and written reports, and to consider career options for further work in this field.
Prerequisites: the instructors permission and senior standing as a major in The Evolutionary Biology of the Human Species (EBHS). Year-long seminar in which senior EBHS majors develop a research project and write a senior thesis. Regular meetings are held to discuss research and writing strategies, review work in progress, and share results through oral and written reports.
Students conduct research in environmental biology under supervision of a faculty mentor. The topic and scope of the research project must be approved before the student registers for the course.
Students conduct research in environmental biology under supervision of a faculty mentor. The topic and scope of the research project must be approved before the student registers for the course.
Prerequisites: An introductory biology course or instructor permission Genome sequencing, the technology used to translate DNA into data, is now a fundamental tool in biological and biomedical research, and is expected to revolutionize many related fields and industries in coming years as the technology becomes faster, smaller, and less expensive. Learning to use and interpret genomic information, however, remains challenging for many students, as it requires synthesizing knowledge from a range of disciplines, including genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Although genomics is of broad interest to many fields, such as ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, medicine, and computer science, students in these areas often lack sufficient background training to take a genomics course. This course bridges this gap, by teaching skills in modern genomic technologies that will allow students to innovate and effectively apply these tools in novel applications across disciplines. To achieve this, we implement an active learning approach to emphasize genomics as a data science, and use this organizing principle to structure the course around computational exercises, lab-based activities using state-of-the-art sequencing instruments,case studies, and field work. Together, this approach will introduce students to the principles of genomics by allowing them to generate, analyze, and interpret data hands-on while using the most cutting-edge genomic technologies of today in a stimulating and engaging learning experience.
This course builds on an introductory course in statistics and dives deeper into linear regression models, including generalized linear models, mixed/hierarchical models, model diagnostics, and model selection. It focuses on the practical applications of these methods rather than the mathematical complexities. A prior course or equivalent knowledge of fundamental concepts in statistics as well as familiarity with R programming are required pre-requisites for this course.
Prerequisites: EEEB G4850. Incoming M.A. 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 students stay at E3B and will help in their future careers.
Prerequisites: 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.
The course will review and discuss current topics focusing on the patterns and underlying processes leading to zoonotic emergence as well as the methodologies utilized to explain and forecast emergence of specific pathogen groups.
This one-credit seminar is designed for PhD students from any department in any school at Columbia University. We will read contemporary literature and examine case studies on designing, conducting, and communicating research projects that contribute to solutions to climate change and related problems of the Anthropocene. PhD students will have the opportunity to share their research and reflect on how it might contribute to solutions.
Prerequisites: degree in biological sciences. Lectures by visiting scientists, faculty, and students; specific biological research projects; with emphasis on evolution, ecology, and conservation biology.
Prerequisites: biology, ecology, genetics, and evolution. Introduction to the applied science of maintaining the earths biological diversity, its landscapes, and wilderness. Focus on the biological principles relevant to the conservation of biodiversity at the genetic, population, and community and landscape levels.
Supervised directed readings and literature review in areas relevant to a students research program.