BIOL   301, Section   501
Ecology and Evolution, Honors
Spring 2005

Meeting Time: TTH 2:00pm - 3:15pm
CLS 102

Academic calendar

Dr. Kevin Higgins
EWS 705, 7-7444 or 7-4141
email: higgins at biol.sc.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Recommended: Ecology, 4th ed. by Robert E. Ricklefs & Gary L. Miller (abbreviated as R&M). Purchase.

Recommended: Evolutionary Analysis, 3rd ed. by Scott Freeman and Jon C. Herron (abbreviated as F&H). Purchase.

On the internet: On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, 1st Edition

Click here to download Populus

Schedule subject to change.  Discussions to be announced.

Introduction to the course Quiz: What is ecology? What is evolution?	Jan 11	Ricklefs & Miller, Ch 1
Discussion on R&M, Ch 1 Class meets in CLS 403	Jan 13	Reading on Blackboard Questions (Must be answered prior to class and must be typed)
Darwin: 1. Artificial selection 2. Natural selection	Jan 18	Darwin Ch 1 (paragraphs: 1-5, 9-11, 13, 16-17; Selection: 1-3, last 3) Darwin Ch 4 (paragraphs: 1-9; Circumstances: 5-7, 10-11; Extinction: all)
Discussion on selection Class meets in CLS 403	Jan 20	Reading on DNA inversion on Blackboard Selection on corn oil content: Graph 1, Graph 2 Questions (Must be answered prior to class and must be typed)
1. Evidence for Evolution 2. Speciation 3. Structure of Life	Jan 25	Off Campus Access Instructions The evolution of dinosaurs. Sereno, Science, 284: 2137-2147 (1999).  Read all of article with the following exceptions: Ornithischians, read only first two paragraphs; Sauropodomorphs, read only first paragraph; Theropods, read only first two paragraphs. Ecology returns to speciation studies. Morell, Science, 284: 2106-2108 (1999). Phylogenetic classification and the universal tree. Doolittle, Science, 284: 2124-2128 (1999).
Discussion on the structure of life Class meets in CLS 403	Jan 27	Tree of Life What is Phylogeny? Genetic Connections Between Organisms Probable Person-to-Person Transmission of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Download pdf, read: Abstract, paragraphs 1-4, Figure 2, Discussion, Figure 4. Questions (Must be answered prior to class and must be typed)
1. Population genetics and evolution 2. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium	Feb 1	Population genetics and evolution, Ricklefs 311-315 Hardy-Weinberg, F&H 141-154
Selection Class meets in CLS 102	Feb 3	Selection and Hardy-Weinberg, F&H 154-161 Population genetics and evolution, Ricklefs 316-322
Mutation	Feb 8	Mutation, F&H 182-186
Migration	Feb 10	Migration, F&H 195-213 (Migration only) Ernst Mayr, 1904-2005
Exam I	Feb 15
1. Random genetic drift 2. Return Exam I	Feb 17	Genetic drift, F&H 195-213 (Genetic drift only)
Inbreeding and Extinction	Feb 22	Inbreeding, F&H 236-245 Inbreeding and extinction in a butterfly metapopulation, Saccheri et al. Nature, 392, 491 - 494 (1998) Captivity masks inbreeding effects on male mating success in butterflies, Joron and Brakefield, Nature, 424, 191 - 194 (2003)
1. Quantitative genetics, CLS 102 2. Discussion on inbreeding, CLS 403	Feb 24	Quantitative genetics, R&M 625-630, Sections 30.4, 30.5 A century of corn selection, W.G. Hill, Science, 307: 683-684 , 4 February 2005 Questions on Saccheri et al.
1. Sexual selection 2. Sex ratios	March 1	Sexual selection, R&M 692-697, Sections 33.11, 33.12 The Sex Ratio, Theoretical Evolutionary Ecology, M. Bulmer (1994), 207-208 Fisher's Principle, Parasitoids, H.C.J. Godfray (1994), section 4.2.1, 156-158
1. Short Lecture on Foraging 2. Discussion on Foraging Class meets in CLS 403	March 3	Foraging Theory, RM, 649-656 (Sections: 31.4, 31.7) Foraging Theory & Resource Management, Theoretical Evolutionary Ecology, Bulmer (1994), p102-104 Questions on Foraging
Spring Break	March 6-12
1. Geographic distribution 2. Genetic structure 3. Life tables	March 15	Population structure, RM 270-297, Ch 14 (p. 271-283, Section 14.6)
1. Demography 2. Exponential growth 3. Age structure 4. Carrying capacity 5. Density dependence 6. Stochasticity	March 17	Population growth, RM 298-313, Ch 15 (p. 298-303, Section 15.5) Population regulation, RM 314-328, Ch 16
Metapopulations	March 22	Metapopulations, RM 329-345, Ch 17 (Sections: 17.1, 17.2, 17.5) Homework on foraging due
Population fluctuations Class meets in CLS 102	March 24	Population fluctuations and cycles, RM 346-359, Ch 18 (Sections: 18.1 thru 18.5) Startling Scientists, Plant Fixes Its Flawed Gene, N. Wade, NYTimes, 23 March 2005
Extinction	March 29	Extinction, conservation, and restoration, RM 360-379, Ch 19 (p. 360-365, Section 19.6)
Life history evolution Class meets in CLS 102	March 31	Evolution of life histories, RM 658-675, Ch 32 (p. 658-665, Sections: 32.7 -- 32.10) Storm petrels Thrushes Groundsel
Competition	April 5	Competition theory, RM Ch 21 (Sections: 21.1 -- 21.5) Competition in nature, RM Ch 22 (Sections: 22.1 -- 22.3)
Predation	April 7	Predation, RM Ch 23 (Sections: 23.1 -- 23.3)
Communities Biodiversity	April 12	Community, RM Ch 26 (Sections: 26.1, 26.2) Biodiversity, RM Ch 29 (Sections: 29.1 -- 29.5, 29.11) Untangling an Entangled Bank, Storch et al., Science, 307: 684-686 , 4 February 2005
Human population growth	April 14	Ricklefs Ch 26
Succession	April 19
Physical Environment	April 21
Energy flow and trophic structure
Biogeochemical cycling and nutrient regeneration
Exam II		Friday, April 29 - 2:00 pm

There are two examinations including the final.  The final is not cumulative.  Both exams will have a similar format of short answer questions, problems, and short essay questions.  Students will be expected to interpret data presented as tables as well as in graphical form.  Material for the examinations will come both from lecture and the readings.  In addition to the examinations there will be several quizzes, and discussions.  The quizzes plus discussions will count for 1/3 of your grade.  The examinations will count for 2/3 of your grade.  The grading scale is

A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, D 60-69, F below 60.  (B+ 88-89, C+ 78-79).

Makeup examinations will not be allowed without a written doctor’s excuse or written proof of a genuine family emergency.  Students are expected to attend all lectures and to read the assigned text prior to the lecture.  Prior to each discussion questions will be posted to the web.  Discussion questions must be typed and answered prior to class.  The instructor will be available by appointment.  Please, if you are confused, come see me or send me questions via email.  Changes to the course schedule and outlines of lectures will be posted on the Department of Biological Sciences web page at http://www.biol.sc.edu/~higgins.