BISC 338 - Seminar:The Biology of Social Insects

Institution:

Wellesley College

Subject:

Description:

Mattila Warfare, communication, agriculture, and caring for family are phenomena that are typically attributed to human societies, but social in-sects do these same things. In this course, we will explore the weird and wonderful world of social insects to discover their diverse strate-gies for success. We will learn about how conflict and selfishness have shaped the cooperative effort that characterizes these seemingly utopian communities. Topics will include the natural history of social insects, self organization in systems, models of division of labor, communication, and an examination of some of the biological oddities that have arisen as a result of kin selection. The format for the course will consist of demonstrations of basic principles, followed by discussion and presentation of classic literature and ground-breaking, current research. Prerequisite: 201 or 202 or by permission of instructor Distribution: Natural and Physical Sciences Semester: Spring Unit: 1.0

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wellesley.edu

Phone Number:

(781) 283-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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