| Zoology |
ZOOL 801 - Conservation Biology
Credits:
4.00
Critical and quantitative investigation of current issues in
the conservation of biological systems. Habitat restoration,
nonidigenous species, harvest strategies, conserving genetic
diversity, population viability analysis, global climate
change, endangered species recovery, habitat fragmentation,
and reserve design are addressed. Case studies include
examples drawn from terrestrial, aquatic, and marine
systems. Weekly laboratories include trips to local habitats
of concern. A statistics course or familiarity with
computers is highly recommended. Prereq: general
ecology or permission. Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every
year.)
ZOOL 805 - Population Genetics
Credits:
4.00
An exploration of the forces affecting the frequency and
distribution of allelic variation in natural populations.
Emphasis on the relative roles of mutation, selection,
random drift and inbreeding in structuring genetic
variation, and on the quantification of the genetic
structure of populations. Prereq: principles of genetics;
applied biostatistics I recommended. (Also offered as
GEN 805.) Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 808 - Stream Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Ecological relationships of organisms in flowing water;
streams as ecosystems. Lectures on physical and chemical
features of streams, floral and faunal communities, and
factors controlling populations of benthic invertebrates.
Laboratory exercises employ both field and laboratory
experimental techniques. Weekly seminars on original
research papers. Special fee. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL #809 - Environmental Physiology of Animals
Credits:
4.00
Animal responses to natural changes or extremes of the
physical environment. Emphasis on adaptation of animals to
major environmental parameters such as nutrient levels,
light, temperature, and ionic environment, as well as
temporal (seasonal, daily) changes in these major
environmental factors. Examples from several levels of
organization including biofeedback mechanisms. Prereq:
general ecology; principles of animal physiology;/or
equivalent. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 810 - Ichthyology
Credits:
4.00
An introduction to the evolution, systematics, anatomy,
physiology, and ecology of fishes, with an emphasis on
New England species. Prereq: principles of biology or
equivalent. Lab. (Offered alternate years.)
ZOOL 811 - Zooplankton Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Methods of sampling populations; factors regulating temporal
and spacial distribution; trophic interactions of
communities, role in nutrient cycles of lakes. Experimental
techniques employed in field trips to freshwater habitats.
Seminars examine current research in the primary literature.
Prereq: general ecology and limnology, ZOOL/PBIO 817, or
equivalent; permission. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 812 - Mammalogy
Credits:
4.00
Evolution, ecology, behavior, physiology, and diversity of
mammals. Focuses on conceptual issues such as the relations
of structure, function, physiology, and ecology of species;
reproductive physiology and life history strategies; and the
evolution of mating systems and social structure. Requires
familiarity with mammalian groups to the family level and
identification of local fauna to species. Prereq; principles
of biology or equivalent. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 813 - Animal Behavior
Credits:
4.00
Introduces the naturalistic study of animal behavior.
Emphasizes the evolution, development, physiology, and
ecology of behavior. Topics include the genetic and acquired
bases of behavior; neuroethology and behavioral
endocrinology; communication; orientation; foraging
strategies; reproductive ecology; and the evolution of
altruistic behavior. Prereq: principles of biology I and II
or equivalent. Lab.
ZOOL 815 - Molecular Evolution
Credits:
4.00
Rates and patterns of evolutionary change in biomolecules;
forces affecting the size and structure of genomes;
molecular mechanisms of organismal evolution. Emphasis on
integrating evidence from biochemistry, molecular genetics
and organismal studies; as well as on methods for
reconstructing phylogeny from molecular sequences. Some
knowledge of statistics and familiarity with personal
computers recommended. Prereq: principles of genetics.
(Also offered as GEN 815.) Special fee. Lab. (Not offered
every year.)
ZOOL #816 - Multivariate Statistics for Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Methods of observation and inference in ecology; data
reduction and exploratory analysis; detection of
association, difference, and similarity using linear models
and other multivariate approaches. Critiques of design and
analysis of published studies. Prereq: formal coursework in
statistics and ecology; permission.
ZOOL 817 - General Limnology
Credits:
4.00
Introduction to the ecology of freshwater systems, with
emphasis on lakes. Origins of lakes and effects of
watersheds on lake chemistry and nutrient cycling are
explored. Other topics include the impact of human
disturbances on productivity and aquatic food webs and
methods used for the management and restoration of lakes.
Comparisons are made of the structure and functions of lake
ecosystems found in temporate, tropical and arctic regions.
Prereq: general ecology or equivalent. (Also offered as
PBIO 817.)
ZOOL #818 - Quantitative Aquatic Ecology
Credits:
6.00
Aquatic ecosystems studied through field and laboratory
exercises. Emphasis on the application of statistical
methods to the biological systems. Field trip data,
collected from remote lakes in the White Mountains National
Forest as well as from southern New Hamsphire lakes, are
analyzed in both biology and statistics laboratories.
Prereq: general ecology or equivalent. (Also offered as
PBIO 818.) (Summers only, alternate years.)
ZOOL 819 - Field Limnology
Credits:
4.00
Ecology of inland waters examined throufh field studies of
lakes, streams, and other freshwater habitats. Emphasizes
methods for studying lakes, analysis and interpretation of
data, and writing of scientific reports. Includes seminars
on research papers and field trips to a variety of lakes
from coastal plain to White Mountains. (Also offered as
PBIO 819.) Special fee. Lab.
ZOOL 823 - Quantitative Genetics
Credits:
4.00
Analysis of continous variation in populations
simultaneously segregating at multiple loci. Genetic and
nongenetic factors and the complex interactions between
them; models and methods of analysis, for both theoretical
and practical applications. Prereq: principles of genetics;
applied biostatistics I is strongly suggested. (Also offered
as GEN 823.) Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 825 - Marine Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Marine environment and its biota, emphasizing intertidal and
estuarine habitats. Includes field, laboratory, and an
independent research project. Prereq: general ecology;
permission. Marine invertebrate zoology, oceanography, and
statistics are desirable. (Also offered as PBIO 825.)
Special fee. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 827 - Field Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles
Credits:
4.00
Origins, evolution, ecology, and conservation of amphibians
and reptiles. Emphasis on overnight field trips conducted
throughout the state, using photographic and other
nondestructive sampling methods. Prereq: principles of
biology I and II or equivalent. Special fee. Field trips.
(Summer only.)
ZOOL 828 - Comparative Systematics and Evolution of Invertebrates
Credits:
4.00
A synthetic approach to invertebrate phylogenies based on
critical examinations of morphological, embryological and
molecular characters. Considers methods of phylogenetic
reconstruction, theories of metazoan origin and phylogeny of
major groups. Prereq: marine invertebrate evolution and
ecology or equivalent. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 829 - Developmental Biology of the Vertebrates
Credits:
4.00
Principles of animal development, primarily in vertebrates,
emphasizing the comparative approach and the integration of
classical and molecular data. General topics include
embryonic patterning, differentiation, morphogenesis, germ
layers and their specific derivatives, environmental effects
in development, and limb development. Special topics include
maternal and embryonic adaptations, reproductive technology,
and evolutionary perspectives on development. Prereq:
introductory course in developmental biology. Special fee.
Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 831 - Systems Approach to Biological Ocean Science
Credits:
3.00
Broad survey of biological ocean science for advanced
undergraduate and graduate students. Uses an
interdisciplinary, "systems" approach to focus on major
opportunities and challenges for ocean science in the
future. Classes meet for one three-hour session each week
and include lecture, discussion, demonstration, and
laboratory sessions appropriate to the subject material
with presentations by guest speakers. Focus of the course
is different each time it is offered; topics have included
temporal and spacial scales of variation, estuarine
ecosystem dynamics. May be repeated. Prereq:
permission. (Also offered as EOS 831.)
ZOOL 833 - Behavioral Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Behavioral adaptations of animals to their environment
including the evolution of behavior and behavioral genetics;
foraging and competition for resources; reproductive
ecology, mating systems and parental care; and the evolution
of cooperative behavior. Examples include both vertebrates
and invertebrates. Emphasis is on critical understanding of
concepts as exhibited in oral and written exercises.
Students conduct independent investigations. Prereq: animal
behavior or ecology or evolution course. Lab. (Offered in
alternate years.)
ZOOL 850 - Biological Oceanography
Credits:
4.00
Biological processes of the oceans, including primary and
secondary production, trophodynamics, plankton diversity,
zooplankton ecology, ecosystems and global ocean dynamics.
Field trips on R/V Gulf Challenger and to the Jackson
Estuarine Laboratory. Prereq: one year of biology or
permission of instructor. (Also offered as EOS 850,
ESCI 850.) Special fee. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 872 - Fisheries Biology
Credits:
4.00
Principles of fisheries science, with emphasis on techniques
used to assess the biological characteristics of exploited
fish populations and the use of such information for
fisheries management. Prereq: ZOOL 810; permission. Lab.
(Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 873 - Physiology of Fish
Credits:
4.00
Investigation of the physiological processes responsible for
maintaining homeostatis in fishes. Focus is on the function
and regulation of the major organ systems during stress and
environmental adaptation. Topics include reproduction,
osmoregulation, digestion, endocrinology and sensory
perception. Prereq: animal physiology or equivalent;/ or
permission.
ZOOL 877 - Neurobiology and Behavior
Credits:
4.00
Survey of fundamental concepts and recent discoveries in
neurobiology. Topics include structure and function of
neurons, development, cellular basis of behavior (sensory
and motor systems), neuropharmacology, and neural plasticity
(learning). Prereq: principles of biology I and II or
permission. Physiology also desirable.
ZOOL #878 - Neuroscience Techniques
Credits:
4.00
A techniques- and laboratory-oriented course designed for
students of the behavioral and physiological sciences who
wish to understand the basic electrophysiological properties
of neurons and how they interact. Both invertebrate and
vertebrate systems to illustrate principles of synaptic
transmission, integration, sensory information processing,
and the control of movement. Prereq: ZOOL 877 or
equivalent. Lab. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL 895 - Advanced Studies
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Independent study in various areas, including but not
limited to: animal behavior; departmental biology; ecology;
electron microscopy; evolution; genetics; histology; history
of biology; invertebrate biology; neurobiology and behavior;
physiology; teaching practices; underwater research;
vertebrate biology; biological techniques. Course sections
for advanced work, individual or group seminar. May include
reading, laboratory work, organized seminars, and
conferences. Prereq: permission of department chairperson
and staff concerned.
ZOOL 896 - Special Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
See description for ZOOL 895.
ZOOL 899 - Master's Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 10.00
Prereq: permission of department chairperson and
prospective supervisor. Credit/Fail.
ZOOL 901 - Research Methods in Zoology
Credits:
2.00
Introduction to the range of research approaches in zoology
and to the skills needed for success in graduate school and
beyond. Topics include scientific writing, graphical
methods, library techniques, scientific methods and
experimental design, research techniques available, and
seminar presentation. Credit/Fail. (Offered every fall.)
ZOOL 915 - Population Ecology
Credits:
4.00
Dynamics of population growth; effects of age, structure,
predation, and competition; measures of community
interaction. Prereq: permission. Lab. (Not offered every
year.)
ZOOL #921 - Advanced Invertebrate Zoology
Credits:
4.00
Morphology, phylogeny, and natural history of the major
invertebrate phyla. Prereq: introduction to invertebrate
zoology or equivalent. (Not offered every year.)
ZOOL #926 - Comparative Physiology
Credits:
4.00
Laboratory modules designed to enable students to
investigate nutrition, metabolism, neural function,
reproduction, and homeostatic mechanisms, of animals,
especially invertebrates. Emphasis on conducting effective
physiological studies. Prereq: principles of animal
physiology or equivalent; permission. Special fee. (Not
offered every year.)
ZOOL 997 - Zoology Seminar
Credits:
1.00 to 2.00
Reports on recent zoological literature. Subject fields are
those listed under ZOOL 895, 896; not all areas available
every semester. Required of graduate students in zoology.
Credit/Fail.
ZOOL 998 - Zoology Seminar
Credits:
1.00 to 2.00
See description for ZOOL 997.
ZOOL 999 - Doctoral Research
Credits: