I took this class because it fills the biodiversity requirement of the molecular biology major at UW. I did not come into the class overly interested in fishes, and to be honest, I didn't leave that much more excited. Learning about the diversity and evolution of fishes was interesting, and while I do not want to pursue that kind of work, I did develop an appreciation for biological fields outside my own. I am so often engrossed in information pertaining to molecular biology, and this leaves me less aware of the many macro elements of biology. Over the last quarter I came to realize why the biodiversity requirement exists: to remind students that no matter what aspect of biology they are studying, there is someone in the next room over studying something similar with a different focus or outlook. It's these different perspectives that may be key to solving some of the toughest biological problems.