ZL3301:03
Projects in Ecology and Evolution
Townsville
Prerequisites: Consult HoS
Inadmissable Subject Combination: ZL5301
13 tutorials, 39 hours practicals, 13 hours workshops. First semester.
Staff: Professor R Pearson.
In this subject, small groups of students will conduct original experimental research projects. Projects will involve a variety of different organisms, including vertebrates (e.g. mammals, birds, frogs, lizards, fish) and invertebrates (e.g. social insects, aquatic insects, native Drosophila) and may involve individual species or assemblages. Students will get the opportunity to design, implement and report on their project, which will run throughout the semester. A wide range of areas will be available for investigation, including ecology, behaviour, genetics and conservation biology of selected organisms. Each topic will be supervised by a member of staff with research interests in that area.
Learning Objectives:
- to demonstrate the link between biological theory and empirical testing of that theory;
- give practical training in the handling of experimental animals, in logistics associated with empirical investigation and in the analysis and interpretation of data.
Assessment by literature review of project area (30%); final written report (60%); final seminar (10%).