BIOLOGY 3006* EVOLUTION  Spring 2012

*Formerly Biology 38

COURSE WEB PAGE:  http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/biology/franz/biology38/index.html

Section EWZ6 – Class Meets Wednesday Evening  6:05 – 7:45 p.m., Room NE 113

This is one of the great social functions of science -- to free people from superstition.
-- Steven Weinberg, April, 2000

Lect.1  Date                         Topic

INTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTION:  DARWIN, NATURAL SELECTION AND THE ‘MODERN SYNTHESIS’                                               

  1a      Feb   1   The Scientific Method (read the Nature of Science (through “Science  Exists in a  Cultural

                           Context (3)]; Also, read and be  prepared to discuss  The Nature of modern Science by Martin

                           Nickels; The issue:  How to explain bio-diversification and adaptation?  Do false peepers really

                           work?  Components of Darwinism, Natural  Selection, [Read through up through and including

                           ‘Natural Selection’], [If interested, listen to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on The

                            Genius of Charles Darwin  Episode 1]; Carefully read a Brief Biography of Charles Darwin; 

                            Limits to Acceptance of Natural Selection  [An audiobook of the Origin of Species is available] 

 

 

1b                      The Rise of Genetics (Mendel, DeVries, T.H. Morgan), The 'Modern Synthesis';  Evidence for

                           Evolution {See also  ‘Evolution and the Fossil Record”  which contain discussion of evolution

                           theory as well as an introduction to the fossil record supporting evolution.  A good introduction

                           to a trip to the American  Museum of Natural History.}  The Tree of life – For a brief introduction

                           to cladistic analysis click on Evolution 101 and read from Introduction  through Recognizing and

                           Using Homologies.  While you’re at it, skim through The Evolution 101 program; it will be useful

                           to you later in the course.

                    

                              

 

THE HISTORY OF LIFE AND THE GENETIC BASIS OF EVOLUTION

 

  2a       Feb  8    Genome structure and size (C-value paradox); Structural Vs. Regulatory genes; Gene Regulation; Origin of phenotypic variation: Read Sources

                            of Variation; Independent assortment and recombination, Gene mutations and the origin of new alleles;

                            Transposable elements  and repetitive sequences as major genomic changes; Neutral mutations (Read overview)

 

     

 2b            Origin of genes: gene duplications and deletions; the fate of duplicated genes; Trypsin genes as an example of evolution by gene duplication

                            (Read about amylase gene duplications and diet;

                            The genetic basis of strait variation: single-gene (monogenic) trait (sickle-cell anemia and other examples in human), View the video

                             "The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans ;  multi-gene (polygenic) trait (additive or epistatic); The environment affects

                             gene action; Heritability (Read the first page only) . 

 

THEORY OF SELECTION AND POPULATION GENETICS VIEW OF EVOLUTION

 

 3a     Feb 15    Theory of Natural Selection, Hardy-Weinberg Theorem; Selection Coefficients; Fitness;  Deviating from Hardy-Weinberg: Effect of selection  

               

 3b                      Selection continued; Read Monogamy in Prairie Voles, The Peppered Moth – an Update; Evolution of light coat color in Florida beach mice;

                         and dark coat color in Rock Pocket Mice; View the video The Making of the Fittest: Selection and Adaptation ;   Read about blond afros; DDT 

 

 4a     Feb 22     Modes of Selection: directional, stabilizing, and diversifying (disruptive) selection 

 

 4b                      Balancing Selection: Heterozygote Advantage, Frequency-Dependent Selection; Negative frequency-dependent selection

                (read the Abstract, Introduction, and click on Fig. 1)

   

           

5a       Feb 29      Mimicry (read about Bates and Muller, and note particularly the example of Mullerian mimicry in Dendrobates frogs and Batesian Mimicry in the

                           butterfly Papilio dardanus; Also. Read about Batesian mimicry in the Tiger Swallowtail;  Read “A Striking Resemblance”; Check out examples

                           of Batesian Mimicry;  Frequency-Dependent selection in relation to mimicry;  Look at the slideshow: A Collection of False Peepers

 

5b                       Evolution Without Selection – Random Change and Genetic Drift; The Dunkers; Founder Effects and Bottlenecks; Inbreeding and

                           Inbreeding Depression,; Avoidance mechanisms

 

EVOLUTION OF SEX, SEXUAL SELECTION, INTRAGENOMIC CONFLICT AND BALANCE

 

6a       Mar  7      HOUR EXAM 1  [GRADES WILL BE LISTED IN THE ‘TEXT AND OTHER MATERIALS’ SECTION OF THE WEB PAGE  USING YOUR

                            STUDENT NUMBER]

                                              

6b                       Sex: Haploid/Diploid Life Cycles; Isogamy and Anisogamy; Mating Types; The Weird Sisters

                           [See LECTURE NOTES for Lecture Notes  from Sex Lecture 1]        

         

 7a      Mar 14    Disadvantages of Sex (2-fold cost etc.); See Fruit Flies Sick from Mating;

 

7b                        Advantages of sex (Mullers Rachet, Red Queen Hypothesis; read Empirical  results, and about the snails, Potamopyrgus antipodarum);

                             Read Parasite and Host in Constant Game of Catch-up;   Battle of the Sexes; "Torture" phallus in Beetles; Traumatic insemination in Bedbugs

                             (read abstract and click on Fig. 1).  Female flies fight back (Read the abstract and author’s summary; Promiscuous Antelopes)

 

                                                  

 8a       Mar 21    Levels of Selection-  Interagenomic conflict (mitochondrial Vs Nuclear); Intragenomic Conflict

 

 8b                       Genomic Imprinting;  [Morning Sickness hypothesis];  [Read Mom and Dad are fighting in your genes?; also “Genes

                             of parents compete in the fetus” ]      

 

 9a       Mar 28     Sexual Selection: Modes and Models;  Sex is Thirst-quenching (nuptial gifts); Mother Knows Best: (Female control);Good Genes;

                             Stalk-Eyed Flies ; Read Houde's Commentary  on sexual ornamentation in females.  Be prepared to discuss Forsgren’s hypothesis,

                             results and interpretation.  Is it applicable to human females?  Size isn’t everything – read abstract

 

 9b                        Cost and limits of sexual selection; Trade-offs

 

 KIN SELECTION, INCLUSIVE FITNESS AND THE EVOLUTION OF ALTRUISM AND COOPERATION

 

 

10a       Apr  4      Kin Selection and Altruism: The theory of kin selection (inclusive fitness) developed by W.D. Hamilton;  Parent-Offspring Conflict;

                            Altruism in Florida Jays (Helping- at the nest)

 

 10b                       Altruism in eusocial insects: Haplodiploidy  and **{ Social Insects; Naked Mole Rats;  A gene for altruism

                              discovered;  Altruism to strangers; Prisoner's Dilemma  (Play the Game ); **Not  covered in lecture; you are

                              responsible for Reciprocal altruism} Read about Reciprocal Altruism   

                                               

  SPRING BREAK

  

SPECIATION,  ADAPTATION, AND EXTINCTION

                                                            

11a       Apr 18     HOUR EXAM 2  [GRADES WILL BE LISTED IN THE ‘TEXT AND OTHER MATERIALS’ SECTION OF THE WEB PAGE  USING YOUR

             STUDENT NUMBER]

                                       

11b                 Species Concepts in Biology: Species and  Speciation ; The Allopatric model Sympatric speciation (Read about House mice

                          species on the island of Madeira; Recent Examples ; Polyploidy, Allopolyploidy  [Read The Species Scape for a summary of speciation theory; pay

                          particular attention  To slides 15-19,  From Dr. Rod Page, Univ. Glasgow]

 

 

12a         Apr 25       Sympatric speciation   (example: true fruit flies   Rhagoletis pomonella species complex);

              Hybridization (Read article by Sean Carroll)

 

  THE EVOLUTION OF DEVELOPMENT AND MACROEVOLUTION

 

12b                       Adaptations Vs Exaptations – The role of co-option in evolution; View the short film "The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and death of Genes";

                            Homology; Cambrian Explosion; Ontogeny and phylogeny:

                            Cis-regulatory element, Transcription Factors, Toolkit Genes; EvoDevo (View the video; Listen carefully)

                                                                          

13a        May 2       The evolution of animal body plans; Evolution of Arthropods; Regulatory Genes in ;  Hox genes,

                                (Homeotic Genes in Drosophila)* ;homeotic mutations, Hox Genes and

                                the Origins of Animals (click on ‘Case Studies’ then ‘Hox Genes’,                                                                             

              *Pay particular attention to slides 1-10

                              

 13b                         Evolution of eyes,  Read Foundational Toolkit Genes           

 

 14a          May 9       Wrap-Up – For an interesting and informative overview of much of the material discussed this semester, go to the Howard Hughes Medical

                             Institute web site and view video Lectures 1-4 (‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ by Sean Carroll; ‘Selection in Action’ and ‘Fossils, Genes

                             and Embryos’ by David Kingsley; and ‘From butterflies to Human’ by Carroll.

 

 14b  

 

FINAL EXAM – MAY 23                        

 

                                 

         

 

 

1 Each class meeting is a double lecture, designated ‘a’ or ‘b’ above