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).

EEB 280 (3 cr, new #3320)

EEB 280W (W, 4 cr, new #3320W)

EEB 380 (graduate, 3 cr, new #3220)

Spring 2008 Lectures: T/TH 12:30-13:45 PM

Lectures are in Atwater 001


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

Pdficon small.gif Download EEB280W instructions (requires password)

To lab home page.

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

Textbook and readings

There is no official text book. Instead, you will be assigned readings from the primary literature to go with the lectures.


Schedule

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

Date Topic Assignment Prof.
Tu 22 Jan Pdficon small.gif Introduction to course; importance of a land flora; paleoclimate Pdficon small.gif Assignment #1 (due 07 Feb)
LL
Th 24 Jan Pdficon small.gif Aquatic green algal diversity, phylogeny, and photosynthetic physiology Reading: Chapters 1&2 in Graham (1993) Origin of Land Plants -- provided in class at 1st meeting LL
Tu 29 Jan Pdficon small.gif Land plant lineage: history and diversity Reading: Pdficon small.gifMcCourt et al. 2004
Optional Reading: Overview of CCM in algae
LL
Th 31 Jan Pdficon small.gif Algal and land plant life cycles Pdficon small.gif Assignment #2 (due 12 Feb)
Reading: Pdficon small.gif Graham et al. 2000
LL
Tu 05 Feb Pdficon small.gif Phylogeny of green plants (phylogeny, tree features, characters, homology, homoplasy, etc.) GO VOTE!
LL
Th 07 Feb Pdficon small.gif Continued. Thanks to Dr. G for covering while I nursed a broken toe. If you have questions about this lecture feel free to ask. Assignment #1 due at start of class
Reading:

Pdficon small.gif Kenrick and Crane 1997

LL
Tu 12 Feb Groups present results of Assignment #2 Assignment #2 due
Th 14 Feb Pdficon small.gif Land plant physiology (carbon acquisition in an oxygen-rich world) Reading: Pdficon small.gif Sage 2004 (some of this is too detailed but it presents a good summary) LL
Tu 19 Feb Pdficon small.gif Land plant physiology (desiccation tolerance)
Pdficon small.gif Dr. Lewis' Exam Hints
Reading: Pdficon small.gif Alpert 2000 LL
Th 21 Feb Pdficon small.gif Embryophyte past and present diversity Reading: Pdficon small.gif Taylor et al. 2005 BG
Tu 26 Feb Pdficon small.gifFossilization Reading:Pdficon small.gif Graham et al. 2004 BG
Th 28 Feb Pdficon small.giftiming the transition to land Reading: Pdficon small.gif Heckman et al. 2001 BG
Tu 04 Mar Pdficon small.gif Phylogeny of land plants Reading: Pdficon small.gif Qiu et al. 2006 BG
Th 06 Mar Pdficon small.gif character evolution: stomata Reading: catch up with previous papers, and then enjoy the break BG
Tu 11 Mar SPRING BREAK
Th 13 Mar SPRING BREAK
Tu 18 Mar Midterm Exam (through 04 March material)
Th 20 Mar Pdficon small.gifEvolution of characters: stomata and conducting cells (part I) Reading: in preparation of next week: Pdficon small.gif Edwards 2003 BG
Tu 25 Mar Pdficon small.gifEvolution of characters: conducting cells Reading: BG
Th 27 Mar Evolution of characters: alternation of generations Reading: BG
Tu 01 Apr Land plant developmental tool kit Reading: BG
Th 03 Apr What happened after the birth of Polysporangiophytes Reading: BG
Tu 08 Apr Plant-fungi interactions Reading: BG
Th 10 Apr Genome evolution (cp size reduction, gene transfer to nucleus) Reading: LL
Tu 15 Apr Genome evolution (parasitic taxa) Reading: LL
Th 17 Apr EEB Seminar, 4 PM
"Probing the evolution of green algae using a chloroplast genomics approach" Dr. Monique Turmel (Univ. Laval)
Assignment #3: All students attend the seminar and write short summary; 380 students also meet with Dr. Turmel during class.
Tu 22 Apr Land plants return to water and algae move to land (again) Reading: LL
Th 24 Apr Graduate student presentations: Karolina and Juan Carlos Assignment #3 due
Tu 29 Apr Graduate student presentations: Steven and Michael
Th 01 May Graduate student presentations: Molly and Lori
Tu 06 May Final Exam 3:30-5:30 PM

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/