EEB 2245W
Evolution 2245W-Fall 2008
Scientific writing advice • Special formatting rules apply to scientific names Scientific binomials and trinomials, and genus names used alone are always italicized (or underlined). The genus should be capitalized; the species and subspecies start in lower case. e.g. Homo sapiens Homo sapiens sapiens
The first time the scientific name of a species is mentioned, it should be spelled out in full. After that, the genus name is usually abbreviated (e.g. H. sapiens).
Higher taxonomic categories (e.g. families and phyla) are capitalized but not italicized. e.g. Chordata, Insecta, Pongidae, Plethodontidae, Scincidae
Many taxonomic category names are also used informally (with different endings), in which case they are not capitalized. e.g. Not everyone is as fond of plethodontid salamanders as the author is.
Common names should generally be capitalized (e.g. Turkey Vulture).
• Write in a scientific style. In general, discuss ideas, not “papers" or “articles”. Do not talk about the “assignment”. Avoid a book report style. Write for a professional audience.
For example, do NOT begin with a long-winded introduction:
Dr. Elizabeth Jockusch and Dr. Ima Nobody of the University of Connecticut published the following paper in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology: “The role of hybridization in salamander evolution.”
Appropriate would be:
Jockusch and Nobody (2001) investigated how birds use their sense of smell.
• State the authors' findings in past tense: Jockusch and Nobody (2001) reported a general increase in researcher preferences for smelly birds.
• Avoid excessive quotation: In general, you should paraphrase what the authors say, not quote it, in scientific writing. Quoting is appropriate only when the original phrasing is particularly memorable. Unlike in some fields, where support for a claim comes from citing statements made by authorities, in science, the primary support comes from presentation of the authors' data, not of their words. Remember that you still must use citations to give credit for the ideas, even when you are explaining them in your own words.
• Avoid “touchy-feely” writing that relies on personal experience or feelings. Your papers should not contain the phrase "I feel that X". The important question is what you think and what you can support. (In many cases, "I feel that X" can be appropriately replaced by "I think that X" in scientific writing).
• The word “data” is the plural of “datum”. Therefore, it is correct to say that “the data show...” not “the data shows...”.
Additional Resources: Sugene Noh has developed a blog designed to assist 2245W students. While the blog is aimed toward students in 245W during the Spring 2008 semester, much of the information is still relevant and you are strongly encouraged to look at what Sugene has posted. The blog may be accessed at:
http://uconnwritinginscience.wordpress.com/
The UConn writing center (http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/) is available to provide additional help at all stages in the writing and revising process. They provide individual tutors to work with you (it's free), and the past experience of EEB 2245W students has been very positive.
Sep. 5 (Friday) Decide upon your topic & get my approval
Sep. 12 (Friday) Introduction due (2-3 pages). Remember to include a Literature Cited section for references cited in your Introduction.
Sep. 15-19 Individual meetings with me (to be arranged); discuss Introduction. (I), then revise it.
Sep. 25 (Thursday) Revised Introduction due; First half of main text due (~5-6 more pages). Remember to update your Literature Cited section for references added in the first half of the main text.
Oct 7 (Tuesday) Second half of main text due (~5-6 more pages). Remember to update your Literature Cited section for references added in the second half of the main text.
Oct 20-24. Individual meetings with me (to be arranged); discuss main text.
Nov 13 (Thursday) Abstract (new), Introduction, main text (both revised) and Conclusions (new) due. The result must be a complete paper in the required format, including a Literature Cited section. This must NOT be a draft, not even a final draft, but a paper you have thoroughly edited and proofread. It must reflect a major effort on your part to produce a polished final paper. You will be graded on the extent to which you have reached this ideal. Nov 20 (Thursday Comments on the first version of your Conclusions section will be returned.
Dec 4 (Thursday) Final complete revised paper due.
Grading breakdown (100 point scale)
To be determined
Possible Term Paper Topics Below are some examples of possible evolution term paper topics. You are encouraged to come up with your own topic. You will be spending a significant amount of time researching and writing about the topic you have chosen this semester, so it is important to choose a topic that interests you. Examples of term paper topics 1. The evolutionary origin of a group of organisms such as angiosperms. 2. Do parasites become less deleterious to their hosts over evolutionary time? 3. How important was human activity in the major extinctions of the Pleistocene? 4. Evidence for Cope's Rule. 5. An evolutionary tendency in insular animals (e.g. smaller mammals, gigantism, or flightlessness). 6. The molecular basis for reproductive isolation 7. The evolutionary significance of introns. 8. The evolution of altruistic behavior. 9. The role of evolutionary change in the success of invasive species 10. Evolutionary response to climate change 11. The evolution of eusociality in insects and mammals. 12. How did flight evolve in birds or insects? 13. Adaptive vs. nonadaptive radiations 14. The evolutionary significance of hybridization
Plagiarizism is defined as "To take something (ideas, writings, etc.) from anyone and pass them off as one's own" (Webster's New World Dictionary, 2nd Ed., 1976). Often students are not clear on what constitutes plagiarism.
Here are some common examples:
• Copying another student's work (whole or part) is plagiarism. • Failure to give full and proper citation to other individual's published work is plagiarism. “Full and proper citation” requires the following: (1) quotation marks around any quoted passage , (2) a correct citation to the publication from where the ideas originated in the text, and (3) a complete reference to that publication in the "Literature Cited" section of a formal paper or assignment. If an author’s work is paraphrased, then quotes are not needed, but the idea must still be followed by a correct citation in the text and a complete reference to that publication in the “Literature Cited.” This applies to all forms of communication including websites, textbooks, lab manuals, or even a personal communication from someone. Plagiarism is a serious violation, as stipulated in the Academic Misconduct section of “The Student Code” at the University of Connecticut, and it will not be tolerated in this course. You are to familiarize yourself with University’s policy on Academic Misconduct at the following web address: http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.html
The instructors of this course will adhere to the guidelines outlined in “The Student Code,” therefore students should read and understand these policies and the consequences of such violations.
There are many resources available to students to help illustrate plagiarism including the websites listed below. It is your responsibility to become fully informed about this issue. You should spend as much time as is necessary to visit each of these websites and become familiar with the material on plagiarism presented on the sites before September 5, 2008. You should then sign the page below and turn the sign paper into your writing instructor before September 5, 2008. Your signature on this paper signifies that you understand what constitutes plagiarism, that you have read the required information, and that you agree to abide by the University of Connecticut Code of Student Conduct.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_plagiar.html http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html
I have read and understand this document ______________________________ ________________ Signature Date
EEB 2245W-Plagiarism Example
The following paragraph comes from this review article: Van Dover C. L., C. R. German, K. G. Speer, L. M. Parson. and R. C. Vrijenhoek. 2002. Evolution and biogeography of deep-sea vent and seep invertebrates. Science 295:1253-7.
“Since 1977, taxonomists have described more than 400 morphological species from vents (7) and 200 more from seeps (6). This corresponds to a species description every 2 weeks throughout the past 25 years. Some vent and seep invertebrate species are immigrants from the surrounding deep sea, whereas others may be derived from shallow-water species. Many of the invertebrate taxa found at vents and seeps have undergone evolutionary radiations at the species level (7). Other species have a longer history of endemicity, having diversified within vent and seep habitats at generic, familial, and higher ranks. Where high taxonomic levels of endemism are observed, origins may be ancient, extending back to the Paleozoic [540 to 248 million years ago (Ma)] (8). Genera of stalked barnacles and a superfamily of primitive gastropods endemic to vents are thought to be Mesozoic (245 to 65 Ma) relics or living fossils (8, 9). Chemosynthetic environments have thus been posited as stable refugia from global extinction events that devastated biological diversity in euphotic zones (7, 10).”
Here’s a paragraph from a student’s term paper: The evolutionary history of vent and seep faunas dates back millions of years, providing ample time for adaptation and speciation. Since the discovery of these chemoautrophic communities, more 400 species have been identified at vents, along with over 200 at seeps (Van Dover et al, 2002). Many of these organisms are the derivations of ancient deep sea organisms that migrated into the habitats, while others migrated in from shallower water. While these organisms entered vents and seeps from the surrounding waters and speciated into some of the modern vent and seep invertebrates, many other species are believed to have been endemic to vents or seeps for a much longer time. Fossil evidence suggests that many endemic species in vents and seeps may have existed in the Paleozoic Era (540 to 248 million years ago). Meanwhile, other endemic species such as stalked barnacles and primitive gastropods are thought to date back to the Mesozoic (245 to 65 million years ago). (Van Dover et al, 2002). Given the age of these fossils, it is safe to say that vents and seeps formed a safe-haven for organisms during events of mass global extinction, such as that which wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago as well as many organisms that may have been living in shallower wat
