Spring 2016

Evolutionary Biology With Lab

Listed in: Biology, as BIOL-321

Formerly listed as: BIOL-32

Faculty

Jill S. Miller (Section 01)

Description

Evolution is a powerful and central theme that unifies the life sciences. In this course, emphasis is placed on microevolutionary mechanisms of change, and their connection to large-scale macroevolutionary patterns and diversity. Through lectures and readings from the primary literature, we will study genetic drift and gene flow, natural selection and adaptation, molecular evolution, speciation, the evolution of sex and sexual selection, life history evolution, and inference and interpretation of evolutionary relationships. The laboratory investigates evolutionary processes using computer simulations, artificial selection experiments, and a semester-long project that characterizes phenotypic breeding relationships among individuals and integrates these results with analyses of molecular sequence variation for genes contributing to mating recognition. Three hours of lecture, one hour of discussion and four hours of laboratory work each week.

Requisite: BIOL 181; BIOL 191 recommended. Limited to 16 students. Not open to first-year students. Spring semester.  Professor Miller.

If Overenrolled: Preference given to biology majors and according to class year (seniors first, etc.)

BIOL 321 - LEC

Section 01
Tu 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM MERR 300A
Th 10:00 AM - 11:20 AM MERR 300A

BIOL 321F - DIS

Section 01
F 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM MERR 315

BIOL 321L - LAB

Section 01
W 02:00 PM - 05:00 PM MCLS 146

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Spring 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2024