Writing Assignment I News & Views
Writing Assignment III Concepts & Applications
Exam Keys:
Final Exam Key
Human Evolution References
Some Evolution Journals and Science Databases
Society for the Study of Evolution
Welcome to the Evolutionary Biology 30305 Website. This site contains the Syllabus and Schedule, Assignment Instructions, Pdfs and PowerPoints containing the lecture material, and links to other useful sites.
Announcements:
12/05/17
We will have a review session for the final exam on Sunday (DEC 10th) at 2:00 PM in room 217 DeBartolo.
12/04/17
A list of topics for the FINAL EXAM is posted HERE
12/03/17
Ok, last section as voted on...Lecture 22 Kin Selection and Eusociality
11/29/17
Next...Lecture 21 Extinctions
11/27/17
Next up...Lecture 20 Macroevolution
11/27/17
Tough game! Too bad to finish that way, but it was a Great Season and a good bowl game coming up!
L 20-38 (9-3) 11/20/17
For the next topic following Human Evolution let's backtrack to lecture 19 "Origin of Novelties".
See the interesting commentary in Nature about one of the models for this kind work:
Biology’s beloved amphibian — the axolotl — is racing towards extinction
11/18/17
Navy always comes to play tough. Great throwback uniforms!
W 24-17 (9-2) 11/13/17
Hate those convicts!
L 8-41 (8-2) 11/10/17
The KEY to the second exam is posted in the left bar. The mean was 87.65. The distribution of scores is shown below. You did a very nice job. Thanks! The mean is a little higher than on the first exam, but more importantly the distribution is shifted upward with less of a lower tail. Nice work. As always if you have any question let me know. 11/09/17
To be sure we have plenty of time to discuss Human Evoltuion let's skip over a few lectures and hit that topic next. We will catch up the others at the end. The next set of posted PPTs is Lecture 26 Human Evolution I
11/05/17
Rolling right along. Next stop Miami!
W 48-37 (8-1) 11/03/17 The key to problem set #3 is posted HERE. Go Irish!
10/31/17 Happy Halloween!
We have a room reserved for a review session on Sunday (11/05) at 4 pm. Room 210 DeBartolo 10/30/17 A list of topics for the second exam is posted HERE. Update on Writing Assignment #2 - It is due Nov 1st (Wednesday) by the end of the day as on the syllabus and NOT Oct 30th. Moving up the Ranks - #8 in the Coaches poll!
W 35-14 (7-1) 10/23/17 Welcome back! A typo in Problem set #3 is fixed. The revised version is HERE. Open Q&A Wednesday (10/25) from 4-6 in room 120 Debartolo. Bring questions about the problem set or lecture material. 10/22/17
Down goes a Ranked Opponent! Wow! W 49-14 (6-1) I hope you all have a great Fall break! Looking forward we will start some new material when you return. Some interesting topicsare coming up like sexual selection, the evolution of aging, and extinction. We have one more set of problems covering the Quantitative Genetics material (Due Oct 27th), and a short writing assignment on the Genetic Basis of Adaptation ( Due Nov 1st). 10/09/17 In class last week I mentioned an extra credit opportunity for evolutionary poems, songs, etc. I'm happy to give 2 pts for creative expression and an additional 1 pt if you share it with the class. You are welcome to tag-team a presentation. 10/08/17 Down go The Tar Heels! W 33-10 (5-1) 10/06/07 Next week we will start a new section on quantitative genetics. Read ahead in the book chapters. Chapters 7 & 8 are posted on the syllabus. 10/01/17 The KEY to the first exam is posted in the left bar. The mean was 85.8. The distribution of scores is shown below. You did a great job. Thanks! If you are not content with your score by all means stop by and we can discuss it. Down go The Redhawks! W 52-17 (4-1) 09/25/17 Here is a KEY to the 2nd problem set. Let me know if you have any questions or spot any issues. Down goes Sparty! W 38-18 (3-1) 09/21/17 RNA World? One of the missing pieces for an RNA world is self replication. Horning & Joyce (2016) solved a piece of this puzzle. See commentary in SCIENCE.(The details of this paper are not critical, i.e., it won't be on the exam. It is just FYI). The important part is that this study demonstrated that RNA is capable of self-replicating. 09/20/17 Here is a link to a REVIEW SHEET with topics we have covered for the first exam. The Key to Problem Set 1 is posted. Generally you did very well. The Ashkenazi problems were the hardest. Good job! We have a couple of review sessions scheduled this week: Friday (09/22) 4-6 215 DeBartolo Sunday (09/24) 2-4 125 DeBartolo Monday (09/25) 4-6 216 DeBartolo 09/17/17 The second problem set with problems on selection models, drift, mutation, and migration is posted. The due date is moved to next Monday (09/25). This will be a busy week. Your News & Views assignment is due Friday (09/22) and our first midterm is next Wednesday (09/27). I will schedule some Q&A sessions for the problem set and to review for the exam. 09/17/17 Much better game this weekend!!! Running game was cooking on all cylinders. Back on track! W 49-20 (2-1) 09/12/17 Rough game this weekend :( Georgia was a tough team and it was a close game. We have lot's of talent so I think we'll be fine! L 19-20 (1-1) 09/11/17 There is an updated version of Lecture 6 - Pop Gen III that includes a few extra slides from class. 09/07/17 A couple of peolple have asked about the recorded lectures. You can find these through your Sakai account. There is a link in the left bar called Panopto where the recordings live. Since we are using a new software this year and the microphone set up is different please let me know if you have any commnets about the ease of using the software or the quality of the sound etc. There are a lot of options for searching built into this software. Give them a try! 09/06/17 There will be a Q&A session Monday (09/11) from 4-6 in DeBartolo 116. We can discuss the first problem set and any of the course material covers so far. The answers to the multiple choice and short answer questions from the book chapters are HERE. These questions are generally very interesting and you should use them for review. Here is a list of the relevant ones: Chapter 1: Multiple Choice 1-3, 5-8; Short Answer 1-5. Chapter 2: Multiple Choice 1,3-6; Short Answer 1,3-6. Chapter 5: Multiple Choice 5-9; Short Answer 3-6. Chapter 6: Multiple Choice 1-10; Short Answer 1-3, 5. Q4 uses the average fitness of an allele and we won't cover that equation shown in Box figure 6.5.1). 09/05/17 Typo alert in Problem 1 on the problem set. The total number of Ladybird Beetles should be 533 not 633. A corrected version is posted. Thanks for spotting that and letting me know! 09/04/17 The first Problem Set is posted. Hit the link in the left bar. I moved the due date to Wednesday the 13th. GO IRISH! Great start to a new season! W 49-16 (1-0) 08/30/17 FYI - Here is an interesting paper that just came out on plasticity and mutation rates: Spontaneous mutation rate is a plastic trait associated with population density. 08/29/17 I posted Chapters 5 & 6 on the syllabus. Note that these two chapters will take us all the way through week 4. Please print out the Video Release Form and return a signed copy to me in class. 08/25/17 Good morning All! Little bit of fall weather in the air today. The Sakai site is published and the first lecture recording should be posted. Please let me know if you have any troubles. I posted a couple of chapters for readings on the syllabus page and I added a login for those links. Please check that it works and that you can access the readings. Here are some guidelines for an assignment I'll describe in class today. News & Views Assignment #1 (Due Sept 22). 08/14/17 Welcome back from Break! I hope you had an eventful summer.
The syllabus is updated and the first 2 lectures are now posted (use links in left bar). There is some reading material for this first section including two short perspective pieces on Darwin's contributions. See you next Wednesday!!! General Course Information: The schedule for this term can be found through the link to "Syllabus and Schedule" at the left. PowerPoint presentations for all lecture material can also be found through the links at the left. Since I am
striving to keep the course as current and up to date as possible I will
typically post lectures only a few days in advance. The lecture material is posted in two formats; as a PowerPoint file at the top of the page, and as a pdf at the bottom. I will post notices and updates to the syllabus here so please bookmark this page and check it regularly. If you have any questions,
concerns, or special requirements please let me know as soon as possible.
This is a fun course and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Instructor: Michael Pfrender The best way
to contact me is via e-mail (michael.pfrender.1@nd.edu).
Feel free to do so at anytime if you have questions or concerns.
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Office: 109B Galvin
Phone: 631-0591