- Plant Evolution and Reproduction

Catalog description

In this course we will explore the evolutionary relationships and histories among the major groups of plants, both terrestrial and aquatic. We will pay particular attention to their modes of reproduction and the structures that facilitate gamete production and dispersal. We will learn how plant physiology and developmental mechanisms have allowed taxa to persist or make major transitions among different environments over time. Class reading material will consist of the primary literature and will be presented by students every week. For the laboratory component we will have one overnight trip to Hocking Hills on a weekend in September to examine and identify plants in their natural habitat, as well as shorter trips to Blackhand Gorge and the Dawes Arboretum. We will also plan together and complete a semester-long project on the effects of environment on the development of reproductive structures in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Evolution and Reproduction qualifies as a "biological diversity" course for the major.