Biology 124 -- Ecology and Evolution

Lectures and Assignments Spring, 2012

Textbook

Raven, P.H., G.B. Johnson, J.B. Losos, K.A. Mason, S. R. Singer. 2011. Biology. Volume 2, Ninth Edition. McGraw Hill, Boston, MA.


Date

Lecture Topic
Reading (chapters, sections or pages)

Jan. 10

Introduction; hypotheses, surveys, experiments

Jan. 12

Evolution introduction
20.1

Correlation is not causation.*

Jan. 17

Darwin's postulates and evidence
20.4, Chapter 21

Jan. 19

Sources of variation; Hardy-Weinberg model
20.2

Jan. 24

Natural selection and adaptation

20.7, 20.8

Evolution is the tie that binds all of biology together.

Jan. 26

Genetic drift; inbreeding; migration; sexual reproduction

20.3, 20.6

Jan. 31

Sexual selection
55.9-10

Feb. 2

Kin selection; Research in ecology
55.11-12

Altruism can be explained by natural selection.

Feb. 7

 TEST I
covers through Feb. 2

Feb. 9

Agents of selection -- physical factors; biomes                                     

59.1-2

Feb. 14
Assessment Day -- no class
Feb. 16
 Agents of selection -- competition 57.1-2

Feb. 21

Agents of selection -- predation
57.3

Feb. 23

Agents of selection -- mutualism and parasitism
28.7, 31.8, 57.4

Good and poor places exist for every species.

Feb. 28

Population growth
56.5

Mar. 1

Population regulation
56.6

Mar. 6, 8

Spring Break

Mar. 13
Age structure and life tables
56.3
Mar. 15
TEST II
 covers Feb. 9 - Mar. 13

No population can increase without limits (density dependence).

Mar. 20
Speciation and adaptive radiation

22.1, 22.2, 22.4

Mar. 22

Macroevolution and phylogeny
Chapter 21 (review), 21.7

Ecological systems are the products of evolution.

Mar. 27

Human evolution and altruism
23.1-3, 35.9
Mar. 29
 Community structure; species-area relationships
Apr. 3
 Island biogeography 58.5
Apr. 5
 Ecological succession 57.5
Apr. 10
 Disturbance, competition, predation
 57.5, 58.3
Apr. 12
 TEST III covers Mar. 20 - Apr. 10
Apr. 17
Energy flow and pathway of elements
 58.1-2

Communities can undergo succession.
Keystone species may be essential to a community.

Apr. 19

 Biodiversity
31.9, 56.7, 58.4, 59.5-6

Apr. 24

Conservation and restoration ecology
Chapter 60
Apr. 26
 Research in ecology and conservation; review


Conservation depends on economic, political, and biological issues.

May 3
FINAL EXAMINATION -- 800 - 1000


"Take home messages" based on C. J. Krebs (The Message of Ecology) and S. Freeman (Biological Science).

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