Molecular Systematics Spring 2014

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2 Credits- half-semester module, 24 March-30 April 2014

Lectures:
Mon & Wed 12:30-1:45 Bio-Pharm 3rd floor conference room

Labs:
Mon & Wed 2:00-4:00 (first half-hour in conference room, remainder in BioPharm 325).

Instructor:
Chris Simon, Biopharm 305D, 6-4640, <chris.simon@uconn.edu> Graduate Assistant: Russ Meister, Biopharm 325A, <Russell.Meister@uconn.edu>; 6-3947

Readings: will be posted as PDF’s.

Handy reference books: 1) Molecular Systematics, 2nd ed. (Hillis, Moritz & Mable, eds. 1996, Sinauer) especially Chapter 11 by Swofford et al. on Phylogenetic Inference; 2) Molecular Evolution: A phylogenetic Approach (Page & Holmes 1998, Blackwell); 3) Inferring Phylogenies (Felsenstein 2004, Sinauer); The Phylogenetic Handbook (eds. Philippe Lemey, Marco Salemi, and Anne-Mieke Vandamme, 2010).

Lecture Goals: The course will focus on the basics of molecular systematics theory and practice from the point of view of the data. We will explore the ways in which an understanding of processes of evolution of molecular data can help in the construction of evolutionary trees. Lectures will examine some of the most serious problems in evolutionary tree construction: nucleotide bias, alignment, homoplasy, among-site rate variation, taxon sampling, long branches, big trees, heterogeneous rates of evolution among branches, covarion shifts.

Laboratory Goals: Labs will cover basic techniques in molecular systematics from DNA extraction to sequencing, alignment and cloning. This lab will be of interest to both experienced and novice molecular systematists because we will try newly developed kits/techniques and compare them to older ones.

Short Assignments:

1) For each topic a bibliography will be provided including one focal paper for which the PDF will be posted. Each student will need to turn in a one-page summary of the importance of each focal paper (1 or occasionally 2 papers per week).

2) The week prior to the start of classes you will be given a checklist discussing practical considerations, organization and data checks for molecular systematics. In certain sections you are asked to answer questions and explain how these procedures are modified in your lab.

3) There will be a short "secondary structure alignment assignment" during the semester.

4) Each student will keep a laboratory notebook and hand-in data collected during the course in the form of an alignment and a nexus data file. Various exercises will be performed in laboratory and some will be finished outside of class. These are detailed in the laboratory syllabus.

5) For each Lab, one student will present a 10-15 minute Powerpoint presentation relating to techniques used in that day’s lab. Russ will be available to advise you, but use web searches and try to do as much as possible on your own. These Powerpoint presentations will be posted on the class website so that in the future when you teach a molecular systematics class, they can be used as a starting point to revise and develop lectures of your own.

Final Exam: The final exam will be a take home test in which each student critiques the first draft of a paper submitted to Systematic Biology (submitted in the past but making comments as if it were submitted today). Each student will also compare the submitted version to the published version. The answer key will be the actual review containing reviewers, associate editors, and editor’s comments (with permission of authors, reviewers and editors) and a list of critical points that need to be considered by the authors.

Final Due Dates: Sunday May 4th: Lab project and notebook due. Take Home FINAL EXAM handed out Sunday May 6th. Take home final due Sunday May 11th.

Syllabus Coming soon!

Schedule

Molecular Systematics Website from 2012 (http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Molecular_Systematics_Spring_2012)
Day Topics Reading/Assignment Lab
Mar 24 An introduction to looking at your data: How molecules evolve.
Lecture instead of lab this week
Aug 28 The many roles of biological systematics
Species Definitions Pdficon small.gif Species Level Terminology Pdficon small.gif
Hubbell Reading Pdficon small.gif
Aug 30 Species definitions & species intermediacy & collections tour Templeton 1989 Pdficon small.gif De Queiroz 2007 Pdficon small.gif
Sept 2 Labor Day, No class Babbidge Library resources; taxonomic literature Meet in Babbidge library electronic classroom 1 (EC1) on level 1, to the left and behind Info Cafe 1 (http://classguides.lib.uconn.edu/content.php?pid=238531&sid=1968055)