BI 25 Skills stressed in Evolutionary Biology

Intellectual skills

Develop sense of organization and budgeting time

Synthesis of Materials Presented in Lecture and the Text

Develop critical thinking

Develop a habit of paying attention to detail

Understanding Arguments In science

Keeping an open-mind, trying to understand both sides

of an argument before taking sides

Mechanics of Writing

Importance of an Outline to the Organization of a paper

Importance of editing several drafts of the paper before

turning the in the final draft

Off Campus Resources

Importance of visiting other institutions (e.g., Museum of

Comparative Zoology to see different perspectives and

compliment materials not available on campus)

Computer Applications in the Sciences

Using word processors and computers for writing papers

Using spreadsheets to input/analyze large amounts of data

Collecting data on the computer while the experiment is

still going on instead of waiting to transcribe it all later

Graphical illustration of data

Develop working knowledge of several different software

packages and the differences between them

Computing Technology

Internet

Library Searching

Database Searching

Statistical and Graphing Software

Laboratory skills

DNA-DNA hybridization

Dissection technique

Museum specimen preparation

Controlled breeding experiments with Drosophila

Cell culture with bacteria

Aseptic technique

Pipetting

Microscopy

Develop laboratory skills

Efficiency, precision, cleanliness, attitude, safety, pride