ENTOM 3310

Insect Diversity and Evolution

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

Insects are the dominant terrestrial organisms on planet earth both in terms of the number of species as well as in biomass. This course will provide a detailed look at insect diversity, phylogeny, natural history, and the insect fossil record. We will examine what is known about insect higher level relationships based on morphology and DNA sequence data and explore how phylogenies can be used to examine the evolution of behavior, life history, ecology, and natural history. Students will come away from the class with a deeper understanding of insect biodiversity, evolution, natural history, and phylogeny.

Prerequisites REF-FA25/Corequisites REF-FA25 ENTOM 2120. Corequisite: ENTOM 3311. Corequisites: None.

Distribution Requirements (BSC-AG, OPHLS-AG)

Last 4 terms offered (None)

Outcomes REF-FA25

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of the insect orders and families and their evolutionary relationships.
• Understand a variety of methods used to reconstruct phylogenies from morphological and DNA sequence data.
• Develop a broad understanding of insect natural history.
• Read and evaluate the primary literature in insect diversity and evolution.
• Communicate phylogenetic and evolutionary concepts in written and oral form.

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