Biology 44, MWF 11am
Lecture 1 Organization
Handouts: lab signup, course info, outlines.
1. Course content,
evolution the core and basis of the semester
evolution- how it works implications
speciation - How it works implications
classification
species characteristics
population growth distribution: biogeogrphy
The evolution of organisms;
origin of life
major groups
problems faced, solutions.
Species Interactions
with the environment:
communities;
physical environment
terrestrial and aquatic communities
communities organization.
Behavior: a section poorly integrated with other things. We now recognize that everything organisms do involves behavior. This includes interaction with environment = ecology, with each other = population growth, reproduction etc. This section look at ways of study of behavior and importance of behavior rather than try to survey behavior.
Subject matter content: 1st vs 2nd semester
1st semester - proximate questions - answers
2nd semester - ultimate questions not as clear in answers - multiple factors, hypotheses.
2. Laboratory, times content, method.
purpose:
1st semester; reading, evaluating research articles
writeups, sci method,
conducting laboratory experiments; controls, etc.
2nd semester: different.
we deal with natural world- whole organisms
experiments of a different sort
1. how does one look at a complex system- the environment and
a) quantify it; gather data.
b) ask and answer questions questions about what is going on?
2. How does one look at organisms; how they interact with each other within a species and between species, and
how do they interact with their environment
Lecture 2 Background to Evolution
1. Classical Views-- Origin of Life
2. Abiogenesis to Biogenesis-- von Helmot
Spallanzani
Pasteur
3. Binomial System of Classification
Why classify? categorization and the mind.
a. the Linnean system, KPCOFGS
b. Morphological species-- no concept of variation
6.Observations leading to an evolutionary View
a. geology; fossils and mapping
b. anatomy; homology and analogy
c. concept of time; uniformitarianism, catastrophism
d. zoogeography; why are animals distributed as they are? Did the kangaroos hop to Australia from Mt. Ararat?
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Lecture 3 Theories of Evolution
1. Lamark; inheritance of acquired characteristics pangenesis
2. Darwin: Theory of natural selection
centralizing tendency- example in action
disruptive, directional stabilizing selection
how to regenerate variation; not known then
3. Importance of Theory;
early acceptance of fact: fossils, embryology,
basis for anthropology, biology, behavior
Early Acceptance of theory-- for wrong reasons
FACT VS THEORY
Capitalism - emphasis on competition
Marxism
Racism
Laissez Faire Economics
4. Rejection of Darwin
Early Geneticists-- rejection of theory
Goldschmidt and the hopeful monsters
mutual aid -
Paleontology-- vitalism, finalism
5 Modern Synthesis-- genetics and natural history
role of mutation-- necessity of mutation
role of sex (stupid way to reproduce)
role of selection
emphasis on differential reproduction
Lecture 4 Origin and Maintenance of Variation
1. Why is variation necessary?
limits to structure and chemical abilities
developmental effects on structure.
2. How to create variation = mutation
types-- gene, control molecules, timing, duplications, polyploidy, neutral mutations
3. Hardy-Weinberg Equations = how gene frequency should change through time
what happens to variation within a population if:
no mutation, selection, sexual selection, drift, emigration or immigration, or random mating
4.problem solving-- look for the double recessive where genotype = phenotype
5. How to maintain variation
sex - diploidy
as a recessive-- implications for eugenics
seasonal variation-- fluctuating environments
gene flow-- migration
neutral mutations
heterozygote superiority-- sickle cell anemia
6. How much variation is stored in a species?
number of alleles per locus
artificial selection; change due to stored variation vs new mutation (dogs and cats)
where do you need a lot, a little; can you limit
mutation, variation?
Lecture 5 Implications of Evolution
1.All Alike, All Different
Single Origin of Life
Implications for poisons, hallucinogens, pesticides
2.Concept of Improvement - perfection
lungfish: given right circumstances, you can be perfect
but: physical environment always changes
biotic environment - red queen
you're not getting better, just older.
Target size: each species in competition for energy
3. Evolutionary rates
punctuated equilibia
High; where and why
low: where and why
4.If everything is selected for, What about non-adaptive characters??
mutation, pleiotropy, conflicting evolutionary pressures
ancestral baggage, recombination.
Our genetic load: good for population, bad for individual
5. The universality of Why-What for Questions
why do strawberries mold?
why is the world green?
why do mothers eat their young? (behavior - under evolutionary control)
Lecture 6 Implications of Evolution II
1.Is evolution predictable? Chaos Theory = too many variables
is environment predictable?
Rensch - biological rules
Cope's -- get larger through time
Bergmann's: size
Allen's: extremities
2.Extinction
Result of a variety of things
Environmental change, abiotic, biotic
Who has the most future?
Earthworm or man?
Synthetics, all bets off
Who is easiest to kill
Island forms
Extreme limited range
"Alien" organisms
Periodicity of major extinctions?
3.Are humans evolving?
Effect of civilization---> broader gene pool
4. Can we control our evolution?
What is a good gene?
What is a bad gene?--albinism
5. Welcome to the world into which Darwin led us.
no antropocentrism.
no automatic upward progression
population thinking
Lecture 7 SpeciationNew Species definition
2.Species structure
clinal variation
causes of range limits
genetic structure of species
3. The Speciation process
isolating mechanisms-- artificial and natural
prezygotic; genetic, behavioral
postzygotic; behavioral, genetic
geographic
Founder Principle
4.The process of speciation as an inevitable result of the
Nature of DNA and Environmental Change
All evolution begins with speciation.
5.Types of speciation
allopatric-- requires, geographic separation, mutation, time helped by selection
sympatric-- plants and polyploidy
animals and habitat choice
parapatric-- ?
sibling species
How different are species; genetic vs morphological distance
6. "Odd" Species
Asexual
Plants and polyploidy
Animals and polyploidy
Lecture 8 - Implications of Species
1.Species in asexual organisms vs. sexual
2. What happens when contact is reestablished?
breed--don't breed
compete--don't compete
if competition (Gause's Principle)
extinction-- competitive exclusion.
resource partitioning-- character displacement
concept of niche - packing of niche dimensions
3. Generalists vs specialists
when is each best. Island forms
4. Numbers of Individuals within a species
- what determines range limits: abiotic, biotic
- what determines population size
Birth vs death - population growth
density independent, density dependent
carrying capacity. r vs K species
leidig's law of the minimum
- The human population
demographic transition
changes in carrying capacity - bases
our ability to change K for other species.
age structure of species vs population growth.
5. How many species?
Is the world full?? Must there be competition?
Division of energy.
Concept of Niche
Niche dimensions, actual vs potential
chipmunks and mountaintops
niche packing
stable vs unstable environments. r vs K again
4. What determines Numbers of species
- differences between temperate vs tropics.
- isolating mechanisms
- island biogeography McArthur-Wilson models\
numbers of species why?
- Plants animals, insects
-
- dominance does it exist in tropics
predators
- disease
- fungus?
- Stability B
- less extinction of specialists.
- New methods of speciation = parapatry between different plants .
Lecture 9 Species Distribution: Biogeography
1.Basis - major regions.
Wallaces line
2. Continental Drift:
3.Movements
corridors - land bridges
filter routes - climatic land bridges
sweepstakes routes - island hopping
4.History of movements between continents
Australia - sweepstakes
S.A. - N. A. - filter route
N.A. - Eurasia - corridor, filter
5.Islands
colonization - long distance dispersal
- archipelago evolution
survival - relics
- effects of recent colonization - extinction
6. Island biogeography.
the theory
experimental proof
what is an island.
application to park design.; corridors.
7. Evolution on Islands
gigantism - who, why - ecological release
dwarfism- who,why - what determines size?
flightless, fearless
plants - size, reproduction
Lecture 10 Origin of Life
1. Abiogenesis - biogenesis
2. Molecular evolution
all life linked - single origin.
3. Primitive earth - Oparin
4. Miller - Urey; generation of simple organic molecules
5. Research Directions
-primitive earth
-simple organic molecules
-complex molecules
-cell like bodies
-complex synthesis mechanisms
6. RNA World
7. Other Hypotheses: space dust, God.
8. Early history of life on earth
- soup
- heterotrophs - eat soup
- autotrophs - chlorophyl
- oxygen appears - end of soup
9. Life Elsewhere--Rensch--Evolutionary Rules
what is life?