Neat course! The material of the course is based on recent papers on animal diversity, so topics ranged from sponge cells to butterfly wings to dog skulls. Each class focused on a single paper. Ahead of class we read a paper and posted discussion questions, and in class Prof Pani gave a lecture on the assigned paper. This course is a great way to learn about the biology research process; we toured Prof Pani's lab, we read bio proposals and a bunch of papers, and we wrote mock proposals. In the second half of the course, we were divided into groups and gave presentations. Prof Pani is knowledgeable and passionate, especially if you talk to him outside of class. He does talk a bit quietly, so I sometimes had trouble paying attention to lectures. On the whole, I enjoyed this course and learned a lot!
BIOL 4014
Cellular Origins of Animal Diversity
Last taught: Spring 2025
Grade Distribution
Average GPA
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Students Measured
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Sections
11 Review
Instructor
4.0
Enjoyability
4.0
Recommend
4.0
Difficulty
2.0
Hours/Week
3.0