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Biology Department Graduate Emphasis
in


Ecology and Evolution

 

The Ecology/Evolution core curriculum is appropriate for graduate students who wish to specialize in areas of biology that study the various processes that encompass the ecology and evolution of living and extinct taxa. Students are expected to choose at least 4 courses at the 500 level in ecology and evolutionary biology to fulfill the Eco/Evo emphasis. Students who complete the M.S. or Ph.D. by thesis must present at least one formal seminar (exit seminar) in front of the public. Other courses from other disciplines (Microbiology or Cell/Organismal) can be substituted for these courses, depending on the direction of the degree/thesis.

 

Participating faculty in Biology:

 

Graduate Students:

Bethany Cook
Amanda Skarguad
William Soto <wisoto@nmsu.edu>
Kathy Whiteman <kwhitema@nmsu.edu>

 

Degree requirments for Biology with an emphasis in Ecology and Evolution

Ph.D. in Biology  M.S., Thesis option  M.S., non-Thesis option

Graduate Student links and info:

NMSU Biology Department
NMSU Graduate School
International Students Program International Students Program
Funding opportunities NMSU Link Fellowships and Grants
Analysis of Diversity Reduction Experiments to Address the Ecosystem Consequences of Biodiversity Loss

The Jornada Basin Long term ecological research program (LTER)
Global change in Terrestrial Ecosystems (GCTE) focus for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning

Advice for entering grad students - from grad students!
Reading list for students from faculty

Ecology and Evolution Graduate Student Presentations and Publications

Bardwell, E., C. W. Benkman, and W. R. Gould. 2001. Adaptive geographic variation in Western Scrub-jays. Ecology 82:2617-2627.

Britch, S.C., M.L. Cain, and D.J. Howard. 2001. Spatio-temporal dynamics of the Allonemobius fasciatus  A. socius mosaic hybrid zone: a fourteen year perspective. Molecular Ecology 10:627-638.

Golinski, M.R. and M.K. Nishiguchi. 2001. Theoretical and empirical evidence for mutualism in a luminescent-bacterium-squid host symbiosis. Society for the Study of Evolution. Knoxville, TN.

Howard, D. J., S. C. Britch, W. E. Braswell, and J. L. Marshall. Evolution in Hybrid Zones. R. S. Singh (ed.), The Evolution of Population Biology - Modern Synthesis. Cambridge University Press, New York. In press.

Howard, D.J., J.L. Marshall, D.D. Hampton, S.C. Britch, M.L. Draney, J. Chu, and R.G. Cantrell. 2002. The genetics of reproductive isolation: a retrospective and prospective look with comments on ground crickets. The American Naturalist 159S:S8-S21. 

Howard, D. J., J. L. Marshall, W. E. Braswell, and J. A. Coyne. 2001. Examining evidence of reproductive isolation in sockeye salmon. Science 291:1853a.

Jones, B.J. and M.K. Nishiguchi. 2002. Host-symbiont dynamics affect community structure in Vibrio populations. Ocean Scienes Meeting, Honolulu, HI.

Lopez, R., K.J. Watson, and M.K. Nishiguchi. 2002. Molecular mechanisms for host specificity in the sepiolid-Vibrio mutualism. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Anaheim, CA.

Nishiguchi, M.K., V. Nair, and C.L. Lickliter. 2002. Phylogeny and systematics of the genus Vibrio: Evolutionary implications of symbiosis and pathogenicity. (in prep).

Parchman, T. L., and C. W. Benkman. 2002. Diversifying coevolution between crossbills and black spruce on Newfoundland. Evolution 56 in press.

Smith, J. W., C. W. Benkman, and K. Coffey. 1999. The use and mis-use of public information by foraging red crossbills. Behavioral Ecology 10:54-62.

Walsh, L.W., M.R. Golinski, P. Lee, and M.K. Nishiguchi. 2002. Growth and fecundity of sepiolid squids (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) reared under laboratory conditions (in prep)

Williams, J. H., D. J. Howard, and W. J. Boecklen. 2001. Reproductive processes in two oak (Quercus) contact zones with different levels of hybridization. Heredity 87:680-690.

Instrumentation and Resources:

There are many departmental and universityfacilities that support laboratory research efforts at New Mexico State University. The following are of particular relevance for the Biology department.


Electron Microscope Laboratory (Arid Lands Building)

Hitachi H 7000 STEM
Hitachi S-3200N Variable Pressure SEM, with Kevex x-ray analyser Zeiss Axioplan Optical Microscope LKB Ultrotome III Ultramicrotome
B-4 Porter-Blum Microtome
Ancillary Equipment

Fluorescence Imaging Facility (Arid Lands Building)

Bio-Rad MRC 1024 Mulit-photon Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope with visible (Argon/Krypton) and IR (Coherent DPM 1000/47/120 PC NdYLF laser system
Molecular Dynamics Storm 860 Phosphorimager
Laboratory of Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics(Biology Building)

ABI 3100Automated Sequencer

Ecology and Evolution Course Offereings:

BIOL 461G, Human Ecology
BIOL 462, Advanced Ecology
BIOL 463, Field Ecology
BIOL 467, Evolution
BIOL 470, Plant Community Ecology
BIOL 473, Ecology of Microorganisms
BIOL 486, Intermediate Genetics
BIOL 488, Principles of Conservation Genetics
BIOL 489, Genetic Aspects of Population Biology

The ecology core courses are:
BIOL 567, Individuals and Populations
BIOL 568, Communities and Ecosystems
BIOL 569, Evolutionary Ecology
BIOL 570, Ecological Biogeography


The evolution core courses are:
BIOL 586, Advanced Molecular Systematics
BIOL 587, Behavioral Ecology
BIOL 588, Principles of Evolutionary Genetics
BIOL 589. Speciation and Adaptation

Additional courses include:

BIOL 513, Plant Speciation and Evolution
BIOL 537, Animal Speciation
BIOL 541, Advanced Genetic Aspects of Population Biology
BIOL 551, Landscape Ecology
BIOL 559, Evolutionary Genetics
BIOL 572, Seminar in Evolutionary Biology

>BIOL 621: Advanced Studies in Plant Ecology 1-3 cr.
BIOL 623: Advanced Studies in Plant Morphology 1-3 cr.
BIOL 627: Advanced Studies in Plant Physiology 1-3 cr.
BIOL 629: Advanced Studies in Plant Biosystematics 1-3 cr.
BIOL 631: Advanced Studies in Genetics 1-3 cr.
BIOL 637: Advanced Studies in Mycology 1-3 cr.
BIOL 645: Advanced Studies in Ecosystem Analysis 1-3 cr.
BIOL 648: Advanced Studies in Arthropod Ecology 1-3 cr.
BIOL 697: University Teaching Experience 1-3 cr.
BIOL 698: Selected Topics 1-3 cr.

Societies and Special Conferences

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Ornithologists' Union
American Society of Naturalists

Cooper Ornithological Society
Ecological Society of America
Entomological Society of America
New Mexico Ornithological Society
Sigma Xi
Society for Conservation Biology
Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology
Society for the Study of Systematics and Evolution