Principles of Evolution (BSCI 370), Fall 2010
Instructor: Dr. Charles B. Fenster, Biology/Psychology Bldg. Rm. 3233,
cfenster@umd.edu
Meeting time: 11-12:15, Tuesday and Thursday, PLS 1140
Office Hours: by appointment, and open “office hours” on Mondays 1-2 PM, Room:
BPS 3233
For course information, including hand-outs etc., go to Charles B. Fenster lab web
page:
http://www.life.umd.edu/biology/fensterlab/
and click on Evolution 370 for course information.
Teaching Assistant: Frank Stearns, office hours: Tuesdays 130-230, Thursdays 5-6:30
Rm 3206 B/P, FStearns@umd.edu
Exams: There will be two 1 hr and 15 minute exams during the semester, each worth
100 points, and a final 3rd exam during the Final Exam Period, worth 200 points. The
final exam will be on material not covered in Exams one and two (100 pts) and ½ on
material covered in exams 1 and 2. The lowest exam score of your first two exams will
be dropped. The final counts towards your grade. Total exam grade = 300 pts.
Exams will consist of definitions, problems, short answer questions and multiple-choice
questions and will come exclusively from lecture material. Lectures will mirror the
textbook. The readings from Darwin will reinforce points made in the text book and in
class.
You can earn X-tra credit by turning in relevant questions to the exam review
sessions (1-3 pts/exam). These are questions you have on the material, not
questions you think should be on the exam. Questions for the review must be
turned in by Wednesday noon prior to a Tuesday exam and Monday noon prior
to a Thursday exam. Questions must be typed or hand-printed (clearly), but must
be turned in via hard copy, and only placed in my mailbox in Rm: 1210
Biology/Psychology Bldg. Total opportunity for X-tra credit = 12 points.
You can also earn X-tra credit (5-10 pts) if you write a brief!! 1-2 page double
space essay on what you learned by attending the Smithsonian's exhibit on
human origins: http://humanorigins.si.edu/
Also, rarely, if a question arises in class you can turn in a report addressing that
question (with my permission) for approximately 5 pts.
Essays: 25, 60, 15 and 100 points (Total = 200 pts). There will be 4 reports, the first
two < 3 pages (for essay 1 and 2), essay 3 is limited to 1.5 pages or less and will be
turned in a part of the second exam, and the fourth essay will be < 5 pages (essay 4)
(typed, Font = 12, double space, one inch margins for all essays). The essays focus on
Darwin’s thoughts, using quotes and then evidence from the textbook to support or
confute his conclusions or those of his critics. Your essay grades will reflect your ability
to integrate what you have learned in class in terms of with Darwin’s thoughts on the
topic. Use Bold FONT to let us know you are using specific concepts or keywords or
phrases you have learned in class. Your first report will be worth 25 pts, the second 60
pts, the third essay will be question in exam II and worth 15 pts, and the final essay will
be worth 100 points. Reports are to be turned in to class the day they are due.
Essays should have your name and topic listed at the top, and all references listed at
the BEGINNING of the essay. Again essays 1 and 2 can only be 3 pages long (we will
not read beyond the third page). Note essay 3, to be brought to exam II, will be very
brief. Essay 4 must be no longer than 5 pages.
Essay 1 (25 pts): Compare Darwin chapters 10 and 12 with what we have learned and
summarized in chapter 2, “The Pattern of Evolution”
Essay 2 (60 pts): Compare Darwin chapters 1-4 with what we learned and summarized
in chapters 3, 5 and 6 in Freeman and Herron
Essay 3 (15 pts, part of exam II): Essay 3 will be turned in at the exam, and
please limit yourself to 1- 1.5 pages. Using chapter 4 from Darwin and material
from chapter 11 from Freeman and Herron, discuss how asymmetric limits on
reproductive success may lead to sexual selection and discuss the behavioral
consequences for the different sexes, USE at LEAST 3 examples from the text.
Essay 4 (100 pts): Parents and Teachers against the Dover area school board.
Grade Assignment:
Total: 500 points
A+
476-500
A
460-475
A448-459
B+
435-447
B
410-434
B397-409
C+
385-396
C
360-384
C347-359
D+
310-346
D
295-309
D280-294
Failure < 280
Tutorial and Friday Socials
Note: Darwin assignments serve as important background material in addition to
serving as the source for your essay assignments. The essays will help you study for the exams.
Date
August 31
Topic
Introduction, Sources of Variation
September 2
HIV
September 7
Pattern of Evolution
September 9
Darwinian Natural Selection
September 14 Estimating Phylogeny
September 16 Mutation & Genetic Variation
September 21 Mendelian Genetics & Selection
September 23 Mendelian Genetics & Selection continued
September 28 Mendelian Genetics & Selection Continued
September 30 Migration, Drift, Nonrandom Mating
October 5
Exam I
Chapter 1
Darwin: Intro
Chapter 1
HW 1
Chapter 2
Darwin: 10 & 12
Chapter 3
Darwin: 1 & 2
HW 2
HW1 key
Chapter 4
Essay 1
Chapter 5
HW 3
HW 2 key
Chapter 6
Darwin: 3 & 4
Chapter 6
HW 4
HW 3 key
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
HW 5
HW 4 key
Essay 2
Chapter 1-6
October 7
Migration, Drift, Nonrandom Mating Continued
October 12
October 14
Migration, Drift, Nonrandom Mating Continued
Evolution of Sex
October 19
October 21
Evolution of Sex Continued
Quantitative Genetics
October 26
October 28
Quantitative Genetics Continued
Quantitative Genetics Continued
November 2
November 4
Form and Function
Form and Function Continued
November 9
Sexual Selection
A dramatic example (courtesy of a student in the class):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8354000/8354788.stm
November 11 Sexual Selection Continued
Chapter 7
HW 6
HW 5 key
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
HW 7
HW 6 key
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
HW 8
HW 7 key
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
HW 9
HW 8 key
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
4
HW 10
HW 9 key
Chapters 11
Darwin: 4
Chapter 11
HW 11
HW 10 key
November 16 Exam II
Chapters 7-11
ESSAY 3
November 18 Kin Selection
Are you your grandmother's favorite: a case for kin selection?
November 23 Speciation
Chapter 12
November 25 Thanksgiving NO CLASS
November 30 Aging
December 2 Human Health
December 7
December 9
Human Evolution
Human Evolution
December 13 Final Exam
8 AM - 10 AM Monday December 13: 8 AM - 10 AM
Chapter 16
(483-502)
HW 12
HW 11 key
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
HW 13
HW 12 key
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
HW 14
HW 14 key
50%: Chapters 12, 13, 14, 16
& 20
50%: Previous material
Evolutionary Perspective
Tree of Life
Evolution 370
• How did this diversity arise?
• What are the selective agents responsible
for evolution of specific traits (adaptive
value)?
• What are the genetic and environmental
processes that underlay evolution?
• How can I better understand the natural
world around me, including humans
(morphology, behavior, diseases, etc.)
Eucaryotes
Cambrian Explosion of Diversity
Plants
cooksonia
Seed plants
What is the origin of biological
diversity?
• Mutations
• Sex = Recombination = Meiosis
This view of the shallows of Shark's Bay, Australia, shows a colony of living
stromatolites. ©Isao Inouye (University of Tsukuba), Mark Schneegurt
(Wichita State University), and Cyanosite (blue-green algae, cyanobacteria)
Mixing
Chromosomes
From
Different
Parents
Independent Assortment Again
Chromosome Behavior &
Independent Assortment
More Genetic Diversity: Mixing Genes Within
a Chromosome