EVE Courses

This is a list of all Evolution and Ecology courses. A list of the Evolution and Ecology courses for only the 2009-2010 academic year is on a separate page.

Contact Sherri Mann if you have any questions.

EVE 2: Biodiversity (3)

Offered: Fall
No prerequisites
Introduction to nature, scope and geographical distribution of biodiversity (the diversity of life, with emphasis on plants and animals, especially insects). Humans and biodiversity—domestication, aesthetics, ethics and valuation. Species richness and "success." Biodiversity through time; monitoring, evaluation and conservation. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.

EVE 11: Principles of Ecology

Offered: Quarter offered may vary (Toft)
No prerequisites
This course is an introduction to ecological principles with an emphasis on humans and their interactions with the environment. In particular, there will be an exploration of the future of civilization and the Earth's biosphere given the apparently unlimited growth of the planet's human population. GE credit: SciEng.

EVE 12: Life in the Sea (3)

Offered: Spring (Williams)
No Prerequisites
Diversity of life in the sea; adaptations to physical/chemical ocean environment; marine science research methods; utilization of living marine resources by humans; factors and processes that influence diversity of sea life, including humans. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.

EVE 92: Internship (1-12)

Prerequisites: Lower division standing and consent of instructor
Work experience off and on campus in all subject areas offered in the Section of Evolution and Ecology. Internships supervised by a memeber of the faculty. P/NP grading only.

EVE 100: Introduction to Evolution (4)

Offered: Fall, Winter, and Spring (Begun, Coop, Grosberg, Kopp, Langley, Turelli)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C or 2A, 2B, 2C, 101; Mathematics 16A, 16B, 16C; Statistics 13 or 100 is recommended
A general survey of the origins of biological diversity and evolutionary mechanisms.

EVE 101: Introduction to Ecology (4)

Offered: Fall, Winter, and Spring (Gaylord, Sanford, Schoener, Schreiber, Shapiro, Strauss)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C or 2A, 2B, 2C; Mathematics 16A, 16B, 16C
A general survey of the principles of ecology.

EVE 102: Population and Quantitative Genetics (4)

Offered: Spring (variable)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 101; Statistics 100 or 102; course 100
Lecture: 3 hrs.; discussion: 1 hr.
Evolution as caused by random mating, genetic drift, natural selection, inbreeding, migration, and mutation in theory and actuality. Application of these ideas to topics such as the evolution of sex.

EVE 103: Phylogeny and Macroevolution (4)

Offered: Winter (variable)
Prerequisites: Course 100
Lecture: 3 hrs.; discussion: 1 hr.
Patterns and processes of evolution above the species level. Homology, homoplasy, and character evolution. Adaptive radiation; modes and rates of diversification. Evolution of complexity, and macroevolution of the genome. Principles of phlyogeny reconstruction and their application to macroevolutionary studies.

EVE 104: Community Ecology (4)

Offered: Winter (Holyoak), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Course 101 or Environmental Science and Policy 100
Lecture: 3 hrs.; discussion: 1 hr.
Population growth and density dependence; predation; exploitative, interference and apparent competition; coexistence mechanisms; niches spatial and temporal variation etc. Emphasis on quantitative understanding through models, concepts, and empirical evidence.

EVE 105: Phylogenetic Analysis of Vertebrate Structure (4)

Offered: Fall (Wainwright), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C
Lecture: 2 hrs; laboratory: 6 hrs
The structure of the classes and subclasses of vertebrates is described and interpreted in terms of phylogeny.

(Fringe-toed lizard. Photo courtesy of Ann T. Chang)

EVE 106: Mechanical Design in Organisms (3)

Offered: SS I (Gaylord)
Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor; introductory animal biology (BIS 1B or 2B), invertebrate zoology (EVE 112), and/or ecology (EVE 101) are recommended; residence at or near Bodega Marine Laboratory required. Student must complete the application available at http://www.bml.ucdavis.edu.
Explores fundamental principles in the form and function of organisms, examining how basic properties of size, shape, structure, and habitat constrain ways in which plants and animals interact and cope with their physical surroundings. The course will employ a combination of lecture, lab, and fieldwork.

EVE 107: Animal Communication (4)

Offered: Fall (Patricelli), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1B or 2B and 2C
Lecture: 3 hrs.; discussion: 1 hr
How animals use songs, dances, colors, chemicals, electricity and vibrations to communicate. Mechanisms of signal production and detection (sensory system), theory of information transfer and signal design, and the role of natural selection in shaping communication.

EVE 108: Systematics and Evolution of Angiosperms (5)

Offered: Spring (Doyle)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C or 2A, 2B, 2C
Lecture: 3 hrs; laboratory: 6 hrs
Diversity and classification of angiosperms (flowing plants) on a world scale, and current understanding of the origin of angiosperms and evolutionary relations and trends within them based on morphological and molecular evidence. GE credit: SciEng.

EVE 111: Marine Environmental Issues (1)

Offered: SS I (Sanford and Gaylord)
Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor. Concurrent enrollment in at least one course from Environmental Science and Policy 124, 152, course 106, 110, 114; residence at or near Bodega Marine Laboratory required. Student must complete the application available at http://www.bml.ucdavis.edu. May be repeated two times for credit. (Same course as Environmental Science and Policy 111.)
Readings and group discussion of critical environmental issues in coastal waters. The course will connect material from concurrent courses at BML and provide students with an integrative understanding of marine environments and conservation. The course will include two invited seminars/lectures by recognized experts.

EVE 112: Invertebrate Zoology (3)

Offered: Winter (Sanford, Grosberg), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C; course 112L concurrently
Lecture: 4 hrs
Survey of the invertebrate phyla emphasizing aquatic forms and focusing on morphology, development, natural history, and phylogenetic relationships.

EVE 112L: Laboratory for Invertebrate Zoology (2)

Offered: Winter (Sanford, Grosberg), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C; course 112 concurrently
Discussion: 1 hrs; laboratory: 6 hrs
Field and laboratory experience with representative members of the invertebrate phyla discussed in course 112. Emphasis on comparative morphology, natural history, ecology, and behavior of living invertebrates.

EVE 114: Experimental Invertebrate Biology (3)

Offered: SS I (Sanford)
Prerequisite: upper division standing or consent of instructor; introductory cell, animal, and plant biology (Biological Sciences 1A, 1B and 1C or 2A, 2B and 2C), invertebrate zoology (EVE 112), ecology (EVE 101), and/or evolution (EVE 100) are recommended; residence at or near Bodega Marine Laboratory required. Student must complete the application available at http://www.bml.ucdavis.edu.
Functional biology, ecology, and evolution of local marine invertebrates, with an emphasis on adaptations to physical and biological factors encountered on the California coast. The course will offer a strong field and lab component and will emphasize testing hypotheses that are generated by the class.

EVE 115: Marine Ecology (4)

Offered: Fall (Stachowicz), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Environmental Science and Policy 100 or course 101
Lecture: 3 hrs; discussion: 1 hrs
Processes affecting the distribution, abundance, and diversity of plant and animal life in the sea. Introduction to marine habitat diversity and human impacts on marine ecosystems.

EVE 117: Plant Ecology

Offered: Fall (Rejmanek)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C or 2A, 2B, 2C; Plant Biology 111 is recommended
Lecture: 3 hrs; fieldwork: 3 hrs
The study of the interactions between plants, plant populations or vegetation types and their physical and biological environment. Special emphasis on California.

EVE 119: Population Biology of Weeds (3)

Offered Spring (Rejmanek)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C or 2A, 2B, 2C
Lecture: 2 hrs; laboratory: 3 hrs
Origin and evolution of weeds, reproduction and dispersal, seed ecology, modeling of population dynamics, interactions of weeds and crops, biological control. Laboratories emphasis design of competition experiments and identification of weedy species.

EVE 134: Herpetology (3)

Offered: Spring (Shaffer), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C; course 100 recommended
Lecture: 2 hours; term paper
The world-wide diversity of amphibians and reptiles with emphasis on behavior, ecology, functional morphology, and evolutionary history.

EVE 134F: Field Herpetology (2)

Offered: Spring (Shaffer), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C; courses 134 and 134L concurrently
Fieldwork: 5 hrs; lecture/discussion: 1 hrs
Multi-day field trips to major California habitats focus on identification of, and ecological experiments on, amphibian and reptile species. Students work in teams to plan experiments, collect and analyze data, write up results and give oral presentations to the class.

EVE 134L: Herpetology Laboratory (2)

Offered: Spring (Shaffer), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C; course 134 concurrently
Laboratory: 6 hrs
The diagnostic characteristics and functional attributes of amphibians and reptiles, emphasizing ecological, biogeographic and phylogenetic patterns. Field experience with common species of reptiles and amphibians in the Davis area.

(A student who just caught an extremely rare black toad. Photo courtesy of Ann T. Chang)

EVE 138: Ecology of Tropical Latitudes (5)

Offered: Spring (Shapiro), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisite: one course in Biological Sciences, Entomology, Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Geography, or tropical experience, or consent of instructor
Lecture: 3 hours; discussion: 1 hour; extensive writing
Biological, physical, and human-related aspects of the ecology of low latitudes. Distribution, numbers, and relationships of tropical organisms. Problems of development and conservation in the context of ecological and evolutionary theory. GE credit: SciEng.

EVE 140: Paleobotany (4)

Offered: Fall (Doyle)
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C or 2A, 2B, 2C
Lecture: 3 hrs; laboratory: 3 hrs
Introduction to plant fossil record, beginning with invasion of land in the Silurian, emphasizing origin and evolution of major groups and adaptations and changing composition and distribution of floras in relation to plate tectonics and climate change.

EVE 141: Principles of Systematics (3)

Offered: Spring (Shapiro), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1B, 1C or 2B, 2C; course 100 recommended
Lecture: 2 hrs; biweekly research projects
Historical background, philosophical rationale, contemporary approaches, and working rules of biosystematics, including international Code of Zoological Nomenclature. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.

EVE 147: Biogeography (4)

Offered: Fall (Shapiro), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B or 2A, 2B, 2C
Lecture: 3 hrs; term paper
Movements of terrestrial organisms. The role of geologic, climatic, and biological changes in the geographic distribution of organisms.

EVE 149: Evolution of Ecological Systems (4)

Offered: Fall (Shapiro), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Course 101 or Environtmental Studies 100 (or equivalent); course 100 (or equivalent)
Lecture: 3 hrs; term paper
Evolution as an organizing force in natural communities. Coadaptation in trophic and competitive relationships. Ecology of polymorphisms, clines, and speciation.

EVE 150: Evolution of Animal Development (3)

Offered: Winter (Kopp), odd-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Molecular and Cellular Biology 150 or equivalent course in developmental biology (may be waived for graduate students with consent of instructor)
Lecture: 3 hrs
Comparative analysis of animal development and the genetic basis of morphological diversification.

EVE 175: Computational Genetics (3)

Not currently being offered
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 101; Statistics 100 or 102
Lecture: 2 hrs; discussion: 6 hrs
The use of computers to solve problems in genetics and evolution. Introduction to general purpose computer language (Python), computational statistical methods, and applications such as QTL mapping, linkage detection, estimation of rates of evolution and gene finding.

EVE 180A-180B: Experimental Ecology and Evolution in the Field (4-4)

Offered: Winter, Spring (Strauss and Stanton), even-numbered years only
Prerequisites: Course 100; Course 101 or Environmental Science and Policy 100
Lecture/laboratory: 3 hrs; fieldwork: 3 hrs
Experimental design in field ecology. Students will critique primary literature, design project, gather and analyze data. Students required to write original research paper based on field experiments. Deferred grading only pending completion of sequence.

EVE 189: Introduction to Biological Research (1)

Prerequisites: upper division standing in Evolution and Ecology or related biological science
Discussion: 1 hr
Introduction to research methods in biology. Presentation and discussion of research by faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students. May be repeated for credit up to a total of 3 units.

EVE 190: Undergraduate seminar (2)

Prerequisites: Prerequisite: upper division standing in Evolution and Ecology or related biological science
Seminar: 1 hr
Student reports on current topics with emphasis on integration of concepts, synthesis, and state-of-the-art research approaches. Reviews of literature and reports of undergraduate research may be included. May be repeated for credit, P/NP grading only.

EVE 192: Internship (1-12)

Prerequisites: completition of 84 units and consent of instructor
Internship: 3-36 hrs
Work experience off and on campus in all subject areas offered in the Section of Evolution and Ecology. Internships supervised by a member of the faculty. P/NP grading only.

EVE 194HA-194HB-194HC: Research Honors

Prerequisites: Students who have completed 135 units and qualify for the honors program (as defined by the General Catalog)
Laboratory: 6 hrs
Students pursue intensive research under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Students are expected to complete the full three-quarter sequence culminating in the writing of an honors thesis. Deferred grading only, pending completion of sequence.

(Fringe-toed lizard's toes. Photo courtesy of Ann T. Chang)

EVE 197T: Tutoring (1-5)

Prerequisite: upper division standing
Tutorial: 1-5 hrs
Experience in teaching under guidance of the staff. P/NP grading only.

EVE 198: Directed Group Study (1-5)

P/NP grading only

Winter Quarter Only Seminar (EVE 198): Society of Conservation Biology

Offered: Winter
No prerequisites
This course is run by graduate students and other members of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB). They will be presenting their current research in the exciting field of conservation biology. Each week there will be a different topic presented due to the diverse specialties of each of the presenters.

Students may retake this course multiple times because each year has a different pool of presenters.

EVE 199: Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1-5)

P/NP grading only