Evolutionary Biology

Biology 332: Evolutionary Biology

George M. Diggs, Jr.
Department of Biology and Center for Environmental Studies
Austin College, Sherman, Texas
& Research Associate, Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), Fort Worth

Biology 332 - Evolutionary Biology Spring 2007 - Class Schedule and Readings

		Lecture Topic	Partial Reading List

Jan	30	Introduction; Science as a Way of Knowing; Why Study Biol. Evol.?; Hist. & Dev. of Evolution	Naturalism; An Introduction to Science; Nothing makes sense....; The Nature of Science
Feb	1	Hist. & Dev. of Evol. Biol. (cont.).; Genetics & Evol.	The Power of This View of Life (class handout); Neither Intelligent nor Designed; The New Creationism; Sadly, An Honest Creationist
	6	Genetics and Evol. (cont.)
	8	Selection, Adaptation
	13	Selection, Adaptation (cont.); Case Study: Evolution of Whales	Introduction to the Cetacea, Whale and Hippo "Close Cousins", New Fossils Resolve Whale's Origin
	15	Preadaptations, Functional Shifts, Multiple Solutions
	20	Evolution and Human Health
	22	Evolution and Human Health	Hygiene Hypothesis; The Hygiene Hypothesis
	27	Sexual Section; Kin Selection
Mar	1	EXAM 1
	6	Speciation; Biogeography
	8	Coevolution
	13	Coevolution; Res. Sum. Title, Etc. Due
	15	Coevolution	Beetle Larvae That Cooperate To Mimic Bees
	16-25	Spring Break
	27	Coevolution
	29	Classification, Phenetics, Evolutionary Taxonomy, Cladistics	Cladistics Appendix (Diggs et al. 2006)
Apr	3	Cladistics & the Reconstruction of Phylogeny; RESEARCH SUMM. DUE
	5	Molecular Evolution
	10	EXAM 2
	12	Molecular Evolution
	17	Diversity
	19	Diversity, Cont.
	24	Extinction
	26	Mass Extinction
May	1	Human Evolution
	3	Evolution of Human Sexuality
	10	FINAL EXAM – 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Thursday

For further information about this course, please contact:

Dr. George Diggs, Professor
Department of Biology
Austin College
900 N. Grand Ave.
Sherman, TX 75090
903-813-2246
Fax: 903-813-3199
gdiggs@austincollege.edu