When? Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30-12:50 pm

Where? KBT room 102

Who is teaching it? Prof. Paul Turner (in charge) and Prof. Antónia Monteiro (Generic e-mail addresses). Teaching Assistant: Gina Wilpiszeski (regina.wilpiszeski@yale.edu)

Office Hours:
Paul Turner: Thursdays 1:30-2:30 pm, room 301A OML (Osborn Memorial Labs).
Antónia Monteiro: Thursdays 1:30-2:30 pm, room 326A OML.
Gina Wilpiszeski: please email to schedule appointment, room 301 OML.

Required textbook: Freeman, S. and J.C. Herron. 2007 Evolutionary Analysis. Fourth Edition. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. (Available in College Store on Maple Street and in Student Bookstore on North Campus). Students are required to read the appropriate chapters before lecture in order discuss the material in class.

This course presents contemporary issues in evolutionary biology with particular emphasis on the empirical evidence and analytical methods that enlighten the processes and history of the evolution of life. Subjects range from population level processes through to systematics and paleontology. A major point of emphasis will be that evolutionary biology is an experimental science. Students are assumed to have a basic understanding of genetics, development, and evolutionary principles as taught in a general biology course (e.g., MCDB 120a, E&EB 122b, E&EB 160a).

Logistics: Topics generally follow the order of chapters in the text. Occasional added weekly readings (e.g., scientific journal articles) are assigned, and are available on Yale Classes Server.

Undergraduate Grading: Three in-class exams will be given. The exams will count as follows in calculating
the final grade: EXAM I (20%), EXAM II (35%), EXAM III (35%). Beginning in Week 3 of the course, there
will be a short quiz given at start of the Tuesday class reflecting the reading assigned for that day. Quizzes will
account for 10% of the final grade.

Graduate Grading: Three in-class exams will be given. The exams will count as follows in calculating the final grade: EXAM I (15%), EXAM II (25%), EXAM III (25%). Tuesday quizzes starting in Week 3 will account for 10% of the final grade. The remaining 25% will be a final written project consisting of a mock fellowship proposal on research centered on evolutionary biology (NSF or NIH style, 10 pg. maximum, format provided by instructors). A draft of the written project will be due by 5 pm April 16. The final written project will be due by 5 pm on May 5.

Laboratory: A separate laboratory course complements the lecture course: E&EB 226Lb with Dr. Gisella Caccone as instructor.

Jan 13: HIV, A Case for Evolutionary Thinking (PET): Chapter 1
Jan 15: The Pattern of Evolution (PET): Chapter 2
Jan 20: History of Evolutionary Thought (PET); “History of Evolutionary Biology: Evolution and Genetics”, Chapter 1,
Barton et al., Evolution, 2007, Cold Spring Harbor Press
Jan 22: Darwinian Natural Selection (AM): Chapter 3
Jan 27: Estimating Evolutionary Trees (AM): Chapter 4
Jan 29: Mutation and Genetic Variation (PET): Chapter 5; primary literature reading
Feb 3: Population Genetics I: Mutation and Selection (AM): Chapter 6
Feb 5: Population Genetics II: Migration, Drift, Nonrandom Mating (AM): Chapter 7,
Feb 10: FIRST EXAM
Feb 12: Multiple Loci I: Linkage and Sex (AM): Chapter 8; primary literature reading
Feb 17: Multiple Loci II: Quantitative Genetics (AM): Chapter 9
Feb 19: Development and Evolution I (AM): Chapter 19
Feb 24: Studying Adaptation (PET): Chapter 10
Feb 26: Kin Selection (PET): Chapter 12; primary literature reading
Mar 3: Aging and Other Life History Characters (PET): Chapter 13
Mar 5: SECOND EXAM
SPRING BREAK
Mar 24: Evolution and Human Health (PET): Chapter 14
Mar 26: Development and Evolution II (AM): Chapter 19; primary literature reading
Mar 31: Mechanisms of Speciation (AM): Chapter 16; primary literature reading
Apr 2: Origins of Life (PET): Chapter 17; primary literature reading
Apr 7: Cambrian Explosion and Beyond (PET): Chapter 18
Apr 9: Human Evolution (PET): Chapter 20; primary literature reading
Apr 14: Sexual Selection (RW): Chapter 11
Apr 16: Phylogenomics (AM): Chapter 15. DEADLINE FOR DRAFTS OF GRADUATE STUDENT WRITTEN PROJECTS
Apr 21: Epigenetics and Evolution (AM); primary literature reading
Apr 23: THIRD EXAM
May 5: DEADLINE FOR GRADUATE STUDENT WRITTEN PROJECTS