BIOSYSTEMATICS 425/525
Fall 2008
Dr. Strait, Office S274, Phone 696-2425, email straitho@marshall.edu
M, W, F 9:00-9:50, Byrd Biotechnology Center 102
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10:45-1:45
Readings:
Describing Species (J. Winston)
The Complete Cladist (E.O. Wiley, D. Siegel-Causey, D.R. Brooks, and V.A. Funk)
Supplemental readings to be assigned in class throughout the semester
All readings will be available in pdf file format on MUOnline
Course Description: Biosystematics is a unifying discipline that combines taxonomy (the
science of collecting, describing, and naming organisms), phylogenetics (the study of
evolutionary relationships among species), and classification (the organization of taxa into
groups which ultimately reflect evolutionary relationship). A working knowledge of systematics
is essential for any professional biologist no matter what his/her specialization may be.
Biodiversity, the study of organism distribution in time and space is a central concern in many
areas of specialization. For the environmentally oriented biologist systematics knowledge
provides critical information for the conservation and management of biodiversity; for the
cellular/molecular biologist systematics knowledge provides a context for relating data to the
living organisms from which they are derived.
Prerequisites: BSC 121 with a C or better.
Style: The course will be conducted in the form of lectures, paper discussions, demonstrations,
and supporting individual and group activities and exercises. Reading, home and activity
assignments will be made each week for the next class session, either by handout or on
WebCT. You are urged to bring to me your ideas, suggestions, criticisms, and questions.
Course Objectives:
1. To understand how all biological studies relate to, are guided by, and are meaningful only in
the context of systematics and classification.
2. To gain a working understanding and use of biological classification and nomenclature
3. To understand the background and approaches to taxonomy
4. To be able to use cladistic methods for studying systematic relationships among taxa.
5. To be able to navigate, evaluate, and use the scientific literature and databases pertaining to
biosystematics.
Graduate Student Requirement:
Early in the term I will meet with each student to discuss and decide on topic.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is expected. If you have, or expect to have, an unavoidable
absence please email me, preferably in advance. University policy governs excused absences
(refer to MU Undergraduate Catalog) for illness, death in the family or institutional activities and
will be strictly enforced with regard to missed exams.
Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Unless assigned
as a group activity all written assignments and exams are to be independent efforts of each
student.
Electronic Devices: All electronic devices that make noise must be silenced during class.
Grading:
Course grades for undergraduates will be based on exams (60%), homework assignments
(20%), and in class exercises and discussions (20%).
Course grades for graduate students will be based on exams (50%), homework assignments
(20%), in class exercises and discussions (20%), and in-class exercise development (10%).
The scale is: 90 -100 %, A; 80 - 90%, B; 70 - 80%, C; 60 - 70%, D.
Homework assignments:
All homework must be typed, double spaced, 10-12 point font, and be 2-3 pages in length
(unless otherwise announced). All homework assignments due within one week of their
announcement (late papers will incur point deductions).
In-class assignments:
Although this class has no formal lab time, it is necessary to do lab-related activities to properly
learn the material. Therefore, some class periods will be devoted to hands-on exercises.
Although most of the assignments should be completed in-class further work on them may be
required. All in-class assignments must be completed (and typed) and turned in prior to the
following class meeting.
Exams:
(1) Three unit exams over class material (lectures, reading, homework, etc...) will be
given. These exams will include a combination short answer questions, definitions, and/or
problems.
(2) Final Exam: Written questions and multiple choice.
Date:
Topic:
8/25 Taxonomy, classification and systematics
8/27
Biodiversity
Reading:
Winston Ch. 1
Agnarsson & Kunter, 2007
Homework assignment: Write 2-3 page paper discussing a single new species that has been
discovered since 1990. Include it’s taxonomic placement, where and when it was found, under
what circumstances it was discovered (e.g., why wasn’t it found earlier), what characters were
used to define this new species (also note whether morphology and/or molecular techniques
were used), and any other ecological data that is available for it.
8/29
Biological nomenclature
9/1
No Class (Labor Day)
Winston Ch. 2
9/3
In-class exercise (Taxonomy and nomenclature of office supplies)
Homework assignment on biological nomenclature
9/5
Species and their discovery
9/8
Drinko Library
9/10 Taxonomic literature and museum collections
Homework assignment on on-line museum databases
Winston Ch. 3
Winston Ch. 4-5
9/12
Museum/herbaria tour
9/15
In-class exercise (Museum research)
9/17
Species Descriptions
9/19
No Class
9/22
Species Descriptions
Winston Ch. 9-12
9/24
Species Description
Winston Ch. 13-15
9/26
Numerical Taxonomy
9/29
Exam I
10/1
In-class exercise (Species descriptions)
10/3
Taxonomic keys (with in-class exercise)
10/6
Sub-species
10/8
Biogeography
Winston Ch. 6-8
Turnill, Evans and Gilliam, 1993
Winston Ch. 19
Winston Ch. 17
Futuyma, 1998 Ch. 9 (253-263)
TBA
10/10 History of systematics
Futuyma, 1998 Ch. 5 (87-108)
10/13 Principles of evolutionary change
Futuyma, 1998 Ch. 5 (108-118)
10/15 No Class
10/17 No Class
10/20 Molecular versus morphological data Part I
Futuyma, 1998 Ch. 5 (118-124)
Graur and Martin, 2004
10/22 In-class discussion
10/24 Origins of evolutionary novelties
10/27 Rates of evolution
10/29 TBA
10/31 Exam II
11/3
Cladistics: introduction and terminology
Wiley et al. Ch. 1
11/5
Basic phylogenetic reconstruction
Wiley et al. Ch. 2
11/7
In-class exercise
11/10 Character definitions and scoring
Wiley et al. Ch. 3
11/12 In-class exercise
11/14 Tree building
Wiley et al. Ch. 4
11/17 In-class exercise
11/19 Tree comparisons and consensus trees
11/21 In-class exercise
11/24-11/28
No Class
12/1
Molecular versus morphological data Part II
12/3
Phylogenetic software
12/5
In-class exercise
12/8 Exam III
Final: December 12, 8:00-12:00
Wiley et al., Ch. 5