Evolution CSUN Biology 322, Summer 2008.

Instructor: Dr. David A. Gray

Contact: dave.gray@csun.edu Office: EH 2209, hours MT 12-1 and by appointment, phone 818 677 7653.

Text: Freeman and Herron, Evolutionary Analysis, 3rd or 4th Edition. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Website: www.prenhall.com/freeman/evolution
 

Course objectives: Gain insight into the processes that have shaped the history of life on earth.
 

Cheating on an exam will result in failure of the course and may result in further University discipline.
Class Withdrawal The Biology Department withdrawal policy states: "Unrestricted withdrawals are permitted only until the end of the third week. Thereafter, requests to drop a class will be honored only when a verifiable serious and compelling reason exists and when there is no viable alternative to withdrawal.  Poor performance is NOT an acceptable reason for withdrawal. During the last three weeks of the semester withdrawals will not be approved except when a student is withdrawing from ALL classes for verifiable medical reasons."

You can receive a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D or F in this course.  I do not grade on a curve (hard selection!!).
 

Grade based on 300 points.
Exams 1, 2 and 3 each worth 100 points.

Basic Schedule [ note: chapter numbers are based on 4th Edition of text, you can use the 3rd edition if you want, but you'll need to read the right chapter ]
Week Topics
1

May 27 Evidence of Evolution (Ch. 2)
May 28 Darwinian Natural Selection (Ch. 3)
May 29 Mutation and Genetic Variation (Ch. 5)

2

June 2 Microevolutionary Population Genetics I (Ch. 6) 
June 3 Microevolutionary Population Genetics II (Ch. 7)
June 4 Multilocus Evolution I: Linkage and Sex (Ch. 8)
June 5 Multilocus Evolution II: Quantitative genetics (Ch. 9) 

3

June 9 Exam 1. Study Guide
June 10 Studying Adaptation (Ch. 10) part 1, part 2
June 11 Coevolution and the Evolution of Sex Video
June 12 Sexual Selection (Ch. 11) part 1, part 2

4 June 16 Kin Selection and Social Behavior (Ch. 12) part 1, part 2
June 17 Life History Theory and Analysis (Ch. 13)
June 18 Chapter 14 Information
June 19 In class question/answer study day.
5 June 23 Exam 2.Study Guide
June 24 Speciation and Diversification (Ch. 16) part 1
June 25 Speciation and Diversification (Ch. 16) part 2
June 26   Constructing Phylogenies (Ch. 4)
6 June 30 Origin of Life (Ch. 17)
July 1   Cambrian Explosion (Ch. 18)
July 2 Extinction Video
July 3   Human Evolution (Ch. 20)
7

July 7 In class question/answer study day.

July 8 Exam 3. Study Guide