BIO404SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY

BIO404 – Systematic Biology introduces the principles and methodologies used in classifying and determining evolutionary relationships among organisms. The course covers taxonomy, nomenclature, cladistics, phylogenetics, and the use of molecular data in classification. Emphasis is placed on understanding biodiversity, constructing phylogenetic trees, and evaluating taxonomic characters.

Students will engage in practical identification and classification of organisms using morphological and genetic data, and learn how systematics informs fields such as conservation, ecology, and comparative biology. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of how living organisms are categorized and how this knowledge supports biological research and communication.