Evolutionary Biology Spring 2013
EEB 2245
Evolutionary Biology
Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-10:45 in TLS154
Textbook: Futuyma, D.J. 2009. Evolution. 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates, Inc. (ISBN 978-0-87893-223-8)
Contents
Instructors
First half of the course, 22 January - 7 March
Dr. Charles Henry
Office: TLS 479/481
Phone: 486-4450
E-mail: charles.henry@uconn.edu
Office hours: By arrangement
Second half of the course, 12 March - 2 May
Dr. Chris Simon
Office: BioPharm 305D
Phone: 486-4640
Email: chris.simon@uconn.edu
Office hours: By arrangement
Teaching Assistants
Geert Goemans
Office: BioPharm 323
Phone: 486-3947
Email: geert.goemans@uconn.edu
Students A-K
Office hours: By arrangement
Brigette Zacharczenko
Office: TLS 471
Phone: 486-5503
Email: brigette.zacharczenko@uconn.edu
Students L-Z
Office hours: By arrangement
Grading
EEB 2245: Your grade will be based on your performance in 4 lecture exams and a 1-hour final exam (cumulative). Your lowest score on the 4 lecture exams will be dropped. Your 3 remaining scores and your score on the final exam will each constitute one quarter of your final grade. University regulations require that students who miss the final exam without an excuse from the Dean of Students receive an F for that exam. Thus, you are required to take the final exam.
Note: because you are allowed to drop your lowest score, we will not give make-up exams.
EEB 2245W: Your final grade in the lecture portion of the course will be calculated as above. If you are taking the W version of the course, that grade will constitute 75% of your final course grade. Your grade in the W part of the course, as determined by your “W” instructor, will constitute the remaining 25% of your final course grade, except that an F in the W part of the course will result in an F for the entire course. An F in the lecture part of the course will also result in an F for the entire course. Refer to the 2245W website for further information. Dr. Kristiina Hurme (TLS 379A; tel: 486-5434; kristiina.hurme@uconn.edu) is the coordinator of the W part of the course.
Announcements
31 January 2013: Note that we will continue to post revised hardcopy versions of the course syllabus on the web site, reflecting changes that have already been recorded in the web version of the syllabus (below). The link to it is under "Course Resources," below.
4 February 2013: A study guide for the first lecture exam has been posted. The link to the guide can be found under "Course Resources," below, and within the on-line syllabus. If we modify this study guide between now and February 14th, I will post an announcement here and the new version will automatically replace the old one.
6 February 2013: Under "Course Resources," below, we have posted a few sample exam questions to help you study for the first lecture exam. Because of various changes in the course format, we have no complete lecture exams from previous years to post.
7 February 2013: In preparation for the review sessions coming up on Monday and Tuesday, you can e-mail specific questions to your TA that can then be answered and discussed at the review sessions.
10 February 2013: Cancellation of all UConn classes on Monday, 11 February, means that we also must cancel the Monday review session (see below). Instead, all students interested in attending a review session should show up at the Tuesday review session. Both TAs will be present at that session (Biophysics Building 131).
18 February 2013: Answer keys for Exam 1 (both versions) have been posted below, under "Course Resources." If one thing has emerged from your overall performance on this exam, it is the importance of attending lecture. Simply studying from the lecture slides and book is usually not enough; I add explanatory material when I lecture, and I suggest which points are important and which ones are not. It's a relatively easy, painless way to improve your performance in the exams.
27 February 2013: A study guide for the second lecture exam has been posted. The link to the guide can be found under "Course Resources," below, and within the on-line syllabus. If we modify this study guide between now and March 7th, I will post an announcement here and the new version will automatically replace the old one.
28 February 2013: In preparation for the review sessions coming up on Monday and Tuesday, you can e-mail specific questions to your TA that can then be answered and discussed at the review sessions.
Course Resources
- EEB2245 syllabus (printable)
- Study Guide for Exam 1 (latest version)
- Sample exam questions to help you study for Exam 1.
- Key to Exam 1. Version 1 (blue exam) and Version 2 (pink exam) are shown, in that order, followed by answers to the written questions.
- Study Guide for Exam 2 (latest version)
- Sample exam questions to help you study for Exam 2.
More Course Resources: A sample of current evolution-themed Massive Open Online Courses (check them out!)
Stephen Stearns, EEB, Yale, at Academic Earth http://www.academicearth.org/courses/evolution-ecology-and-behavior
and also on Udemy http://www.udemy.com/evolution-ecology-and-behavior-122-with-stephen-c-stearns/
A set of tutorials, more for secondary school http://virtualurchin.stanford.edu/index.html
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution with Mohamed Noor by Duke on Coursera https://www.coursera.org/course/geneticsevolution
This Michigan State University MOOC focuses on Foundations of Science, but also includes components on evolution and creationism http://foundations-of-science.zoology.msu.edu/
Stanford Human Behavioral Biology http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL848F2368C90DDC3D
Khan Academy has material on Hardy-Weinberg principle https://www.khanacademy.org/
Review Sessions
Updated 29 January 2013 -- There will be two review sessions for the first exam on Thursday, February 14th. They will be:
** CANCELLED ** Monday, February 11th, 6-8PM in BioPhysics Building Rm 130 (students L-Z, Brigette Z.), and
Tuesday, Feburary 12th, 6-8PM in BioPhysics Building Rm 131 (NOW OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS).
Review sessions are structured to answer any questions you might have encountered while studying or going over the example exam. Please come to the review session with specific questions -- or, you can e-mail questions to your TA ahead of time. If you can not attend either review session but have questions pertaining to the course material prior to the exam please contact your assigned TA to set up a time to meet.
Updated 28 February 2013 -- There will be two review sessions for the second exam on Thursday, March 7th. They will be:
Monday, March 4th, 6-8PM in BioPhysics Building Rm 130 (students A-K, Geert G., primary), and
Tuesday, March 5th, 6-8PM in BioPhysics Building Rm 131 (students L-Z, Brigette Z., primary).
Evolution in the News
5 February 2013, New York Times online: Darwin and pigeon breeding
19 February 2013, New York Time online: East Asian Physical Traits Linked to 35,000-Year-Old Mutation
20 February 2013, Nature online Superstars of Botany: Rare Specimens
20 February 2013, Imgur.com Nothing is stranger than reality -- This entertaining sequence of panels about courtship and mating in an angler fish is actually very accurate. It's good to bear in mind that sexual selection does not always produce large, powerful males!
Lecture Syllabus (link to print version)
Please read assigned chapters, as indicated below, prior to class