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 2009 - Class Schedule and Readings

    Lecture Topic Partial Reading List (additional reading list will be handed out in class)
       
 Feb 3 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
5 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
  10 Class session with author David Quammen  Was Darwin Wrong?; Darwin's First Clues; Introduction to "Origin of Species"
  12 Selection, Adaptation  Darwinism must die......
  17 Selection, Adaptation (cont.); Case Study: Evolution of Whales Introduction to the Cetacea, Whale and Hippo "Close Cousins", New Fossils Resolve Whale's Origin
  19 Preadaptations, Functional Shifts, Multiple Solutions
  24 Evolution and Human Health
  26 Evolution and Human Health Hygiene Hypothesis; The Hygiene Hypothesis
 Mar 3 Sexual Section; Kin Selection  
5 Discussion with special guest Dr. Philip Gingerich  Evidence of feet in Whales; Origin of Whales from Early Artiodactyls; Earliest Whales Gave Birth on Land
  10 EXAM 1
  12 Speciation; Biogeography; Res. Sum. Title, Etc. Due  
14-22 Spring Break
  24 Coevolution  
  26 Coevolution  Beetle Larvae That Cooperate To Mimic Bees
31 Coevolution  
  Apr 2 Coevolution
7 Classification, Cladistics, & the Reconstruction of Phylogeny; RESEARCH SUMM. DUE  Cladistics Appendix (Diggs et al. 2006)
  9 Molecular Evolution  
  14 EXAM 2  
  16 Molecular Evolution  The Real Life of Pseudogenes, Tuatara, the Fastest Evolving Animal, This Week's Citation Classic
  21 Diversity  
  23 Diversity, Cont.  
  28 Extinction  
30 Mass Extinction
 May 5 Human Evolution
  7 Evolution of Human Sexuality  
  12 FINAL EXAM – 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Tuesday  

 

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


All text and images on this page copyright 2009, George M. Diggs, Jr.

Austin College