Senior Capstone Seminar: Reproductive Tactics

Catalog description

This seminar approaches the process of reproduction - or lack thereof - from a wide range of possible angles and for a wide range of possible organisms….depending on the semester.   Topics may include how animals and humans have evolved creative mechanisms, physiological and behavioral, to maximize their reproductive success. Often, how anthropogenic activities affect reproductive patterns other animals drive the discussion of reproductive variability, and often delve into how human activities and values directly affect our own reproductive behaviors.  Course format: A reading extensive course. Students will read from a source text or a “general press” science book for foundational ideas. Then, students will each find scientific research papers from the primary literature related to the chosen source readings and present their paper to the entire class for discussion and analysis of scientific content.  A culminating multi-media presentation – shared for the entire class, represents the final assessment of learning expectations for the class.