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Whales dive to precisely the depths where the density of krill is highest and perform multiple lunges, taking on 1/3 of their body volume in water that they then filter. How do they achieve this in the black silence of the ocean?
Do whales have belly buttons and if so, why?
Do they have the genes responsible for producing enamel even though they lack teeth, if so, why?
How does the amplitude of the swimming motion of a whale depend on its size and how is speed of the swimming related to the amplitude and frequency of motion?
Given that 3 million whales were removed from the oceans in the 20th century, how much less whale poop does that correspond to and how does it compare to the entirety of fertilizer in all the world's farms?
This course will use the whale as a vehicle to examine many of the great themes of modern science. It will involve a combination of reading, laboratory experiments using DNA sequencing to explore whale evolution and illegal hunting and several field trips to watch whales in the wild.
Up to 15 students. Meet 1x a week for 1 hour discussion + reading, lab assignments, field trips.