Biological Systematics

A study of the theoretical basis and methodologies of each of the current schools of systematics, and the arguments used by each school in uncovering the phylogenetic relationships between organisms. Topics will include Aristotelian essentialism, evolutionary systematics, phenetics, cladistics (phylogenetic systematics), transformed (pattern) cladistics, monophyly, paraphyly, polyphyly, parsimony, homology, homoplasy, character state analysis, and polarity. The role of paleontological data in phylogenetic reconstruction will be explored. Students will use the methods learned to construct caldograms and phylogenetic relationships from a variety of data sets, and learn how to use data in resolving phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships.