REVISED
Evolution

BIOL 136

Dr. Craig S. Hood

Biological Sciences
MO 358

Lecture Syllabus
 Instructor
          Dr. Craig S. Hood
          Monroe Hall 358
          Office Phone:   865-2193
          chood@loyno.edu     <= The QUICKEST and BEST way to reach me -- day or night !!
 

  Office Hours
         M & Weds. 11:30 to noon, 2:30 to 4:30 pm or appoint.   [Please do stop by anytime !!]

  Books:

Kardong, K.V.  2005. An Introduction to Biological Evolution.  1st Edition.  322 pp. McGraw-Hill Publishers

Articles and Essays on Website .  Reprinted from journals and books.  Total about 200 pp.
Course Activities: The course includes readings, lectures, and discussions. Evolution is the unifying concept in modern biology.  Theodosius Dobzansky's statement in 1973 that "nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution" is amongst the most profound ever made.  Our focus in this course is to understand major evolutionary phenomena.  Because these often occur over vast amounts of time and space, they are sometimes difficult to grasp.  For many organisms, seasonal weather patterns (fall, winter, spring, summer) span their entire lifespan, whereas for others (e.g., oak trees or people) a hundred annual seasons can be experienced.  Global patterns of interaction (a vast amount of space) and geological timescales (a vast amount of time) are challenging for us to think about and for people (including students and research scientists alike) to study.  I want us to think about, wonder about, appreciate, and understand these challenges of time and space.

The evolution of humans -- that the origin, history, and future of humans on our planet can be explained by these evolutionary processes (i.e., humans have been subject to the same processes as other organisms) -- is a major focus of this course.  But, like only a few other individual species in the history of life, humans have the capacity to impact other species -- causing their extinction or explosive population expansion.  That humans have begun to change (disrupt) global biogeochemical cycles and climate makes us an important force in the future of life on earth.  

Course Goals & Objectives:   If you and I are successful in this class, we will both reach the following objectives.  Note that understanding includes being able to explain:


The in-class exercises, assignments, and exams are designed to lead you to achieve what I hope will be a high level of understanding.

Attendance: There is no specific attendance policy, except that I believe you will learn a lot more if you attend class than if you don't.  Because there are in-class exercises, you obviously need to be in class to participate in them.  You are responsible for all material presented in class and distributed via e-mail or the web. 

Pre/Co-requisites:   There is no specific course pre-requisites.  However to succeed in the course you need to be able to read and write critically.  Having enthusiasm and an inquiring mind will help.

E-mail and Website: The use of e-mail and the www (Internet) has gone beyond being merely fun and/or convenient. Information technologies have become routine tools for learning. It is imperative that you learn to use e-mail, the Internet, and general computing (word-processing, graphics, and presentations) as part of your college education.  Accordingly, you must have an e-mail account and check it (and the course website) regularly. If you do not have a Loyola account, you can get one on the 5th floor of Monroe - its free! .

I will be communicating with you via e-mail often, and delivering assignments and handouts by way of the course website. I will hand-out "hardcopies" of lecture materials in class only if the campus server goes down for an extended period, or if they are needed with short notice. Our course website URL is on BLACKBOARD as follows:   ==>  blackboard.loyno.edu  .  

Grading: Your participation and achievements in this course will be evaluated using a) exam test scores, b) assignments, and c) participation in discussions and exercises. Your grade will be based on points earned as follows:
                                        Examinations --- 3 tests @ 100 pts ----------------  300 pts
                                        Intelligent Design Assignment ----------------------  100 pts
                                        Writing assignments -----------------------------------   50 pts
                                        Participation in class -----------------------------------   50 pts
Make-up exams, plagiarism, etc…:  Exams are major scheduled events of the semester and should be prepared-for weeks in advance. There are no make-ups for exams or assignments. However, if a serious problem arises that prevents you from taking a scheduled exam, you must contact me prior to the exam or assignment date, or as soon as is humanly possible. In that way, I can assess if it is reasonable and fair (to both you and your fellow students) to make some arrangement to take the exam at another time.

I wish it wasn't necessary to include the following statements, but it's the nature of the world. Academia is based on trust and honesty. I have to trust that you will do your work honestly and you have to trust that I will evaluate it honestly. I will take very seriously any form of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, or presenting work as your own when it isn't.   Please refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin for a description of academic dishonesty and it's consequences.

Students with Disabilities:  Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations in this class should contact Disability Services at 865-2990 (in the Academic Enrichment Center, MO 405) as soon as possible so that warranted accomodations can be put in place at the beginning of the semester. 
Atheletes and others with off-campus events:  If you are a Loyola athelete or a student in a student organization with formally scheduled off-campus events -- please contact me as early as possible if your attendance at an event causes you to miss class or impact your participation in in-class activities.  
My door is open: Please do feel free to stop by my office at any time to talk about any aspects of the course. Although I have posted office hours, I am usually around most days -- throughout the week. SO, stop by anytime!!

Lecture Topics

Readings --

Kardong  =  our "textbook", Kardong (2005, An Introduction to Biological Evolution).
Moore     =  reprints of Moore (1993, Science as a way of knowing) posted on website.
Gould     =  reprints of Gould essays (originally published in Natural History) posted on website.
Darwin    =  reprint of final chapter of Darwin (1859, On the Origin of Species ...) posted on website.
articles   =  reprints of journal articles and essays from primary literature -- posted on website.

  Date       Lecture Topics     Reading Assignments
                         Explaining our World -- Emergence of Evolution

Jan. 9
Jan. 11

Jan. 13

Introduction and Principles 
Why Evolution is relevent today

Science & Creativity ** interaction **

-- Moore Introd. & Conclusion
-- Kardong Ch. 16

-- Loehle Article

Jan. 16

Jan. 18
Jan. 20

Evolutionary Questions

Evolutionary Explanations to 1850s
Design in Nature ...   ** interaction **

-- Moore Pt 2 / Kardong Ch.1 

-- Moore Pt 2 / Kardong Ch.1
-- articles

Jan. 23

Jan. 25
Jan. 27

Time and the Geological Revolution

Evidence of Evolution
Darwin's Observations

-- Kardong Ch. 2

-- Kardong Ch. 6
--  

Jan. 30

Feb. 1
Feb. 3

Darwin's Mechanism

Summary & Review
Exam # 1

-- Darwin (Ch. 14)  

-- Review
-- exam      

                        Microevolutionary Processes and Macroevolutionary Patterns

Feb. 6
Feb. 8

Feb. 10

The New Synthesis
The Material Basis of Heredity

Case Studies   ** interaction **

--
-- Kardong Ch. 3 

-- articles

Feb. 13
Feb. 15

Feb. 17

Variation Part 1
Variation Part 2

Selection (after Darwin)

-- Kardong Ch. 8
-- Kardong Ch. 8 

-- Kardong Ch. 7

Feb. 20
Feb. 22

Feb. 24

Selection (after Darwin)
Generating species -- Speciation

Case Studies   ** interaction **

-- Kardong Ch. 7
-- Kardong Ch. 9 

-- articles  

Feb. 27
Mar. 1

Mar. 3

Mardi Gras Holiday

Mardi Gras Holiday

Class cancelled

-- have fun (safely)

-- holday   
--

Mar. 6
Mar. 8

Mar. 10

More on species and  speciation
Species interactions -- Co-evolution
Species interactions -- Life history

-- Kardong Ch. 9
-- Kardong Ch. 10   

-- Kardong Ch. 11 

Mar. 13
Mar. 15

Mar. 17

Summary & Review

Exam # 2

Diversity patterns and extinction

-- Review

-- exam 

-- Kardong Ch. 13 

                         Human Evolution and the Interdependence of Biodiversity

Mar. 27
Mar. 29

Mar. 31

Macroevolution

Primate adaptations and relationships

Empire of the Apes ** interaction **

-- Kardong Ch. 13

-- Kardong Ch. 14
-- Gould essay  

Apr. 3

Apr. 5
Apr. 7

Human ancestors Part 1

Human ancestors Part 2
Human biology 

-- Kardong Ch. 15

-- Kardong Ch. 15
-- articles

Apr. 10
Apr. 12

Apr. 14

Human Impacts on Environment

Human Impacts on Evolution

Easter Break

-- articles
-- articles

-- holiday

Apr. 17
Apr. 19

Apr. 21

To the Beginning -- Origin of Life

Origin of Life ** interaction **

Summary & Review

-- Campbell Chap. 20
-- articles

-- Review

FINAL SCH.

Exam # 3

 CHECK FINAL SCHEDULE

Intelligent Design Assignment

Assignment:  Science/Creationism debates have raged in the United States for nearly 100 years -- the Scopes "monkey" trial of 1925 being an early landmark event.  In the past five years, a new form of scientific creationism -- intelligent design -- has emerged that has reignited this debate in the nation.  I agree with Dr. Massimo Pigliucci, an evolutionary biologist at SUNY-Stony Brook, that science educators need to engage students -- especially non-science major students -- with this debate (see Pigliucci 2002, Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism, and Nature of Science. Sinauer Press).  I think it is critical that our class engage in understanding this debate and that as you leave this class you have a better understanding of the following --


As outlined in our course syllabus, we will be dealing with evolutionary processes throughout the semester and therefore, the observations and ideas we need in order to understand these points will emerge throughout the semester.  We will have an assignment due near the end of the semester that will involve your doing directed reading (of articles, essays and portions of primary literature concerning intelligent design) as well as some of your own research, and writing responses to some questions.    I am anticipating that the overall assignment will result in you turning in a total of about 15 pages of work (not all in one big chunk)

 

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