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 2014 - Class Schedule and Readings

    Lecture Topic Partial Reading List (additional reading list will be handed out or assigned in class)
       
Feb 4 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 6 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; Introduction to "Origin of Species", Was Darwin Wrong?; Darwin's First Clues
  11 Genetics & Epigenetics  
  13 Selection, Adaptation  
  18 Selection, Adaptation (cont.); Case Study: Evolution of Whales

Introduction to the Cetacea, Whale and Hippo "Close Cousins", New Fossils Resolve Whale's Origin, Evidence of feet in Whales (Go through JSTOR); Origin of Whales from Early Artiodactyls; Earliest Whales Gave Birth on Land
  20 Preadaptations, Functional Shifts, Multiple Solutions
  25 Kin Selection; Sexual Selection
  27 Evolution of Human Sexuality Why is the penis shaped like that?; Pas de Deux of Sexuality Is Written in the Genes; What were the real reasons behind David Reimer's suicide?
Mar 4 Speciation; Biogeography  
  6 EXAM 1  
  10-14 Spring Break  
  18 Evolution & Human Health Begin reading the Hunter-Gatherer Within
20 Evolution & Human Health; Res. Sum. Title, Etc. Due Hygiene Hypothesis; The Hygiene Hypothesis; Old Friends Hypothesis (Hygeine Hypothesis Updated)
  25 Evolution & Human Health  
  27 Evolution & Human Health  
  Apr 1 Coevolution  
  3 Coevolution Beetle Larvae That Cooperate To Mimic Bees
  8 Coevolution; RESEARCH SUMM. DUE  
  10 Coevolution  
  15 EXAM 2  
  17 Classification; Molecular Evolution  
  22 Molecular Evolution (continued) The Real Life of Pseudogenes (download pdf), Tuatara, the Fastest Evolving Animal, This Week's Citation Classic
  24 Diversity  
  29 Diversity (continued)  
May 1 Extinction
  6 Mass Extinction
  8 Human Evolution  
  15 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


All text and images on this page copyright 2014, George M. Diggs, Jr.

Austin College