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| Syllabus | Lecture notes | Software | Exams | Grades |
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Purpose
Morphometric procedures for abstracting and comparing biological forms are widely used in systematics, evolutionary biology, and ecology, as well as in other biological disciplines such as anthropology, paleontology, embryology, cellular biology, and the medical sciences. The purpose of this course is to survey methods and assumptions involved in the quantitative description and analysis of patterns of morphological variation and change. We will cover topics that generally fall under the headings of both multivariate morphometrics and geometric morphometrics, as well as some other related topics. The course will emphasize quantitative methods but will require only an elementary knowledge of algebra, statistics, and geometry. Many mathematical ideas will be covered, but in an intuitive and non-threatening manner as possible. We will be making extensive use of Matlab for in-class demonstrations and for some out-of-class assignments, but prior knowledge of Matlab, though helpful, is not required.
IMPORTANT: Because many applications in morphometrics involve the use of multivariate statistics, this course is intended as a supplement to my more general course in Applied Multivariate Statistics (Biol 6309-001). This course will cover aspects of multivariate statistics that are unique to morphometric studies, as well as aspects of geometric morphometrics. Thus, both of these courses must be taken simultaneously, unless you have taken my multivariate course in the past. If you have taken my multivariate course, or another comparable course elsewhere, I still recommend that you sit in on the lectures to refresh your memory about important details that I will be referring to in the context of morphometrics.
Format
The course will be flexibly lecture-oriented, based on the provisional outline but with short tangential subjects pursued at any time as the need or desire arises. Suggestions for additional or different topics are welcome. The final few weeks will be devoted to student presentations on relevant topics or projects.
Textbook
Zelditch, M.L., D.L. Swiderski, H.D. Sheets, and W.L. Fink. 2004. Geometric Morphometrics for Biologists: a Primer. Elsevier Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-77846-08. Hardcover, list price $82.95 (available used from $61.58 on Amazon.com as of 8/12/09).
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