Biology 403, Evolution - Spring Semester, 2008 (sections 1 and 2)
Instructor
(2nd half of the Spring semester): Matt Lavin, 308 & 339
Lecture
section 01: 304 Lewis Hall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,
Lecture
section 02: 202 Reid Hall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,
Office
Hours. Mondays
Text: Evolutionary
Analysis, 4th ed., by Scott Freeman & Jon C. Herron (Prentice Hall).
This text is on reserve at the front desk in the Renne Library.
Goals
during the 2nd half of the course: The study of evolutionary history is the focus. In order to
understand processes that occur over evolutionary time scales, the human mind
needs to structure thought with theoretical concepts, including folk history,
deterministic and stochastic processes, phylogeny, and monophyletic groups, for
example. Evolutionary history relies on a genealogical theory that assumes all
alleles, genes, individuals, populations, and higher taxa (species, genera,
etc.) that have ever existed are related to various degrees by common descent.
Because genes and genomes, not individuals, span evolutionary time scales, the
study of the history of organisms is best done using genetic information.
Methods such as Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and phylogenetics enable biologist
to study the process of speciation or diversification. These methods also have
other applications such as in the study of wildlife biology, epidemiology, and
human evolution. We will conclude this second section by addressing human
nature and why it might be good to know something about it.
This course will not focus on theories that
address the ultimate origins of life. If interested, a good starting point
includes chapters 17 and 18 in Evolutionary Analysis, 4th edition. Most
scientific activity in evolutionary history is centered on the mechanisms of
change among the living species. Little of the fossil record will be covered,
although contemporary methods of fossil analysis include the phylogenetic
methods presented in this class.
– PV92
data, mtDNA data (5’
variation, 3’ variation – African-Asian 5’ variation), mtDNA
phylogeny
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES (please give me until the night before each lecture
to finalize its content)
17
March – introduction
19
March – mutation & drift
21
March – University Day
24
March – population divergence
26
March – genetic drift
28
March – genetic drift continued
31
March – phylogenetics
2
April – phylogenetics continued
4
April – phylogenetics continued
7
April – phylogenetics continued
9
April – review
11 April – Exam
#3
14
April – intro to cladistics
16
April – cladistic data sets
18
April – more cladistic data sets
21
April – cladistics reviewed
23
April – phylogenetic epidemiology
25
April – phylogenetic comparative method
28
April – speciation
30
April – human evolution
2
May – review
6 & 7 May – Exam
#4 (scores
and final grades): 4:00-5:50 PM, 6 May (section 02) Reid 202, and 8:00-9:50 AM,
7 May (section 01) LH 304
GRADES will be derived from four exams. The
dates of the last two exams in this final half of the course are given above.
The four exams will each count one fourth of your grade. The test format and
kinds of questions will be highly similar to the questions provided for each chapter
in the text, Evolutionary Analysis, 4th edition. A list of specific
text and web questions that relate to the material covered during each class
will be posted with the lecture notes for that day.
Web
sites with programs or servers that will or can be used during this course.
The National Academy of Science has produced the
following book on evolution: Science,
Evolution, and Creationism.
Paleontologist Kevin Padian discusses the issues of gaps in
the fossil record.
MSU Departments of Ecology, LRES
(Kevin O'Neill – 1st
half section 001) and Plant Sciences (Adam Richman – 1st
half section 002,and Matt Lavin)
