Syllabus: BIOLOGY 4250 -- Evolution

Fall Semester 2012 -- 1:40 - 2:55 p.m., MW, Seq. 140.

Dr. James K. Adams -- 148 Sequoya Hall                Office Hours: 8:40 - 10:40 a.m. TW; 3:00 -
Office: (706) 272-4427     Home: (706) 602-6993       4:00 p.m. MW (intramurals may interfere);
E-mail:
jadams@daltonstate.edu                                   1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Th; 9:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Faculty website: www.daltonstate.edu/faculty-staff/jadams/     some Fridays (call) or by appointment

Textbook: Evolutionary Analysis (4th Edition), by Freeman and Herron

Week                              Topics                                                  Chapter, Pages       
Aug. 13 - 16             Introduction to Course                                (please read page 1)
                                
The Pattern of Evolution                           1 (overview), 2 (37 - 65)      

                                                                                
Aug. 20 - 23              Darwinian Natural Selection                           3 (74 - 96)            
                                        and the Modern Synthesis (with genetics)
                                 
Aug. 27 - 30              Estimating Evolutionary Trees                         4 (overview)
                                  Mutation and Genetic Variation                      5 (143 - 166)
                                        new genes, new alleles, chromosomal alterations

                           ***Labor Day Holiday, Monday, Sept. 3, 2012***  

Sept. 4 - 6       
          Finish Mutation and begin Mendelian Genetics  5 & 6                              

Sept. 10 - 13      ***EXAM 1, Chaps. (1) 2 - 5; Monday, Sept. 10, 2012***   
                                 Mendelian Genetics in Populations: Hardy-Weinberg                  
                                        Selection, Mutation                                    6
                                        Migration, Drift                                          7 (223 - 250)

Sept. 17 - 20              Mendelian Genetics in Populations:                   
                    
                    Drift (cont.), Non-random mating             7 (251 - 273, 276)
                                   Evolution with Multiple loci                            8 (281 - 302)

Sept. 23 - 26              Evolution with Multiple loci: Quant. Genetics   9
                                  
Begin Adaptation                                           10
                       
                               

Oct. 1 - 4                 ***EXAM 2, Chaps. 6 - 9; Monday, Oct. 1, 2012***  
                                   Adaptation:  Form and Function                    10

Oct. 10 - 11          ***Fall Break, Monday, Oct. 8 - Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012***
                       
           Adaptive significance of sex                           8 (302 - 312

Oct. 15 - 18                 Sexual Selection                                           11
                                   
Kin Selection & Social Behavior (begin)        12


Oct. 22 - 25               Kin Selection & Social Behavior  (cont)           12
                                  
Aging and Life History Characteristics:             13 (overview)
                                            Fecundity, Lifespan, etc. in evolution

Oct. 29 - Nov. 1         Aging and Life History Characteristics (cont)    13
                   
***EXAM 3, Chaps. 10 - 13; Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012***       

Nov. 5 - 8                  Mechanisms of Speciation                               16 

Nov. 12 - 15                The Origins of Life; Precambrian Evolution       17

Nov. 19                        The Cambrian Explosion and beyond               18
                                            (Begin)

   ***Thanksgiving Day Holiday, Nov. 21 - 23, 2012***

Nov. 26 - 29            The Cambrian Explosion (cont.)                        18 (continued)
                        ***EXAM 4, Chaps. 16 - 18 (4), Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012***                                

Dec. 3                         Human Evolution/Molecular Evolution           14-15/19-20 
                                            (whatever we have time for)

                       FINAL: Monday, December 10, 2012, 1:00 -- 3:00 p.m.

Withdrawal date is Tuesday, October 23, 2012.