Evolution of Green Plants

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Scanning electron micrograph of Equisetum sperm cells. Image by K. S. Renzaglia (http://www.science.siu.edu/landplants/Sphenophyta/sphenophyta.html).

Spring 2010

EEB 3320 (3 cr)

EEB 3320W (W, 4 cr)

EEB 5220 (graduate, 3 cr)

Spring 2010 Lectures: T/TH 12:30-13:45 in TLS 301
Labs: T 14:00-16:50 in TLS 115

Pdficon small.gif Download a general course Syllabus (requires password)

Pdficon small.gif Download EEB3220W instructions (requires password)

To lab home page.

Instructor Contact Information

Louise A. Lewis Associate Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
office: 200 Pharmacy/Biology Building
voice: +1 860-486-6723
email: louise.lewis@uconn.edu

Bernard Goffinet Associate Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
office: 300 Pharmacy/Biology Building
voice: +1 860-486-5290
email: bernard.goffinet@uconn.edu

TA Contact Information

Juan Carlos Villarreal A. Lab Instructor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
office: 312 Pharmacy/Biology Building
voice: +1 860-486-6306
email: jcarlos.villarreal@gmail.com

Office hours: Wednesday 12-1, BIOPHARM 312 or feel free to email in advance</br>

Textbook and readings

There is no official text book. Instead, you will be assigned readings from the primary literature to go with the lectures. This material is considered part of the lecture material and must be read for the midterm and exam .


Schedule (Tentative)

Notes: downloads require password; best viewed in Adobe Reader (some problems with the MAC "Preview" program).

Date Topic Assignment Prof.
Tu 19 Jan Introduction: "plants?", "photosynthesis", "emerging from the water", ...
Pdficon small.gif Lecture1SM.pdf
Reading:
Pdficon small.gif Assignment 1: Life cycles (due Jan. 26)
BG
Th 21 Jan The context for the evolution and subsequent diversification of land plants

Pdficon small.gif lecture2SM.pdf || Reading: || BG

Tu 26 Jan Life cycles of green plants, meiosis, mitosis Reading:
Assignment 1 due
LL
Th 28 Jan Phylogenetic trees Reading:
LL
Tu 02 Feb Aquatic ancestors to land plants Reading:
Assignment 2: phylogenetic trees (due Feb. 9)
LL
Th 04 Feb Bryophytes, Ferns and other seed-free vascular plants Reading:
LL
Tu 09 Feb Ferns and Gymnosperms Reading:
Assignment 2 due
LL
Th 11 Feb Angiosperms Reading:
LL
Tu 16 Feb Developmental tool kit: genome evolution Reading:
BG
Th 18 Feb Genome reduction
note: EEB seminar 4 PM - Doug Soltis
Reading:
Assignment 3: seminar today
LL
Tu 23 Feb Hormones Reading:
Assignment 3 due (Soltis summary)
LL
Th 25 Feb Plant:fungal interactions Reading:
BG
Tu 02 Mar Fossilization Reading:
BG
Th 04 Mar Evolution of key characters I: stomata, cuticle Reading:
BG
Tu 09 Mar SPRING BREAK
Th 11 Mar SPRING BREAK
Tu 16 Mar Midterm Exam (100 points) (through 04 March material)
Th 18 Mar Evolution of key characters II: conducting cells, sporophyte dehiscence Reading:
BG
Tu 23 Mar Reproductive biology of land plants Reading:
BG
Th 25 Mar Microfossils Reading:
BG
Tu 30 Mar Extinct ferns Reading:
BG
Th 01 Apr EEB seminar: Paul Strother / Q&A on his paper Reading:
Assignment 4: seminar today
Tu 06 Apr Seeds and flowers Assignment 4 due (Strother summary) BG
Th 08 Apr EEB seminar: Kathleen Pryer / Q&A on her paper Reading:
Assignment 5: seminar today
Tu 13 Apr Desiccation tolerance Reading:
Assignment 5 due (Pryer summary)
LL
Th 15 Apr Photosynthesis in an oxygen-rich world Reading:
LL
Tu 20 Apr Phylogeny of land plants: character sources, inferences Reading:
LL
Th 22 Apr Phylogeny of land plants: inferences, data conflicts Reading:
LL
Tu 27 Apr Graduate student presentations
Th 29 Apr Time tree of evolution of land plants, wrap up Reading:
BG
 ?? May Final Exam (100 points on new material, 25 points comprehensive. Will include questions about the graduate student presentations.)

Links

"Whitish smoke in the movie are small droplets containing smreps (deliberate misspelling of word for male gametes). The smreps in the droplets are still un-motile. When touch the water, they begin to swim. In our experiments, misting with water is trigger of the explosion. If antheridia were mature, the explosion begin within few minutes. The event continued about for 10 min. Intense light for video recording also seems to accelerate the phenomenon. Each antheridia is deeply sunk in a cavity of antheridiophore and there is a very small pore on the top of each cavity. Swollen cells of surrounding tissue might cause the pressure force. Cavers (1903) and Muggoch & Walton (1942) also discussed about the mechanism, but, I think no one examined about the detail mechanism of the phenomenon. In Hiroshima, the season of mreps dispersal is Spring (April to May). In our field observation, we detected many airborne smreps in the sunny day after rain shower. I do not have detail data about how many species of liverworts have airborne mreps. At least, Asian species of Conocephalum (C. japonicum) do in the same manner." M. Shimamura

Shimamura, M., Yamaguchi, T. & Deguchi, H. 2008. Airborne sperm of Conocephalum conicum (Conocephalaceae). J. Plant Res. 121: 69-71. http://www.springerlink.com/content/fl2105h6428366m3/