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The year 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (24 November 1859) and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth (12 February 1809). In recognition of these anniversaries, departments across UC are sponsoring events and programs celebrating Charles Darwin's life and work. For more information on Darwin related events and programs at UC, go to the UC Darwin website.
In celebration of Darwin's life and work, University Honors is sponsoring the following courses and activities:
"Hearing and Sound Production Through the Ages: Jurassic Acoustics"
Honors seminar offered in Winter 2009 and Autumn 2009
35CSD568H
Taught by Dr. Peter Scheifele
See an article on this course in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
See video from Squash the python's class visit!
100 million years ago dinosaurs roamed the earth eating, breeding, and, most likely, calling out to each other. What did they sound like? What type of ears did they have? Scientists now believe that birds are descendents of dinosaurs. Are birds ears similar to reptile ears? Darwin believed that the ways that animal species change over long periods of time had a lot to do with survival. An animal that was slightly better at hearing a predator coming would live longer and have more offspring. What does that tell us about how human ears and voices evolved to modern day? How did our voice and speech come to be? Why are we afraid when a dog growls? Are we do acoustically different than other animals? In this class, you will find out that the human ear actually performs poorer than many other animal ears. We will investigate the development and operation of strange ears and vocal apparatus such as those found in fully aquatic animals (dolphins and whales) and how bats and dolphins use sound as a tool to find their way and to hunt their pray. We'll explore vocalization then and now. It's Jurassic acoustics!
"Galápagos: History and Future of a Natural Laboratory"
Honors seminar offered in Autumn 2009 with a study tour to the Galapagos
Taught be Dr. Ken Petren and Dr. Eric Maurer
Students will enroll in the course "Galápagos: History and Future of a Natural Laboratory" for autumn quarter 2009. Students and faculty will travel to the Galapagos Islands immediately following the end of autumn quarter 2009. Learn more about this
study tour to the Galapagos Islands.
"The Darwin Revolution"
Honors seminar offered in Autumn 2009
Taught by Dr. Robert Richardson
This historically oriented course focuses on the development of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, the emergence of evolutionary theory in the 19th century, the intellectual and social context crucial to that theory, and the immediate scientific responses to Darwin’s theory in the last half of the century. The course will be wide-ranging, covering not only Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859), but also original writings from Darwin’s contemporaries.
Statue of Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands
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