BIOL 4310

(3 Credits) 3 Lecture hours, 3 Laboratory hours Molecular ecology is the study of the genetics of natural populations, and the application of molecular genetics to answer fundamental and applied ecological and evolutionary questions. Lectures and seminars in this course will cover topics ranging from theoretical population genetics to applied evolutionary genetics and will draw heavily on peer-reviewed literature, published data sets, and student-generated data. The lab component of this course will involve the application of molecular genetics protocols (e.g., isolation of DNA from animal and plant tissues, DNA fingerprinting, and gene sequencing) and field techniques (e.g., sample collection, species identification, and specimen handling).