This advanced seminar explores the field of evolutionary developmental biology (EvoDevo). EvoDevo seeks to understand the developmental mechanisms underlying the origin of newness in the biological world, by exploring the origin of morphological novelty, understanding how development permits (or constrains) the types of bodies that can be produced, and describing how developmental mechanisms themselves evolve. In this course, we will explore central concepts in EvoDevo, consider the role of development in evolution writ large, and connect both to case studies from the primary literature. The course format will consist of a mixture of lecture, class discussion, guest lectures by visiting evolutionary developmental biologists, and assignments focusing on both oral and written scientific communication skills. |