Evolutionary Biology - Lecture Notes for Review Exam | BIOL 2704, Lecture notes of Biology

Download Evolutionary Biology - Lecture Notes for Review Exam | BIOL 2704 and more Lecture notes Biology in PDF only on Docsity! Evolutionary Biology, Biology 2704, Fall 2012 CRN 9825, TR 2:00-3:15 PM, GBJ 102 Professor: Dr. Joel McGlothlin Office: 4002 Derring Hall Phone: 231-0046 Office hours: MW 2:00-3:15 PM or by appointment Email: evolve@vt.edu Scholar site: https://scholar.vt.edu/portal/site/evolve Course prerequisites: BIOL 1105, 1106 (or equivalent) Required text: Evolution: Making Sense of Life (2013) by Carl Zimmer & Douglas J. Emlen Other course materials: Lecture outlines will be posted on Scholar the day before each class. It is your responsibility to print the outline and bring it to class so you can take notes on it during lecture. I will also occasionally post additional readings (such as news articles or short reviews) on Scholar. What you should learn This course will provide an overview of the current field of evolutionary biology. By the end of this course you should have a basic understanding of the major topics in evolutionary biology: the theory of evolution by natural selection, the history of evolutionary thought, population genetics, sexual and kin selection, evolutionary trees/phylogenies, how new species arise, and human evolution. In addition, you should be able to see how evolution provides a framework for the broader field of biology and how evolutionary theory can be used to address some social issues, such as wildlife conservation and antibiotic resistance. Student evaluation Exams (500 points, ~85% of final grade): Three midterms (100 points each) and a comprehensive final exam (200 points) will be used to evaluate your mastery of the concepts and skills taught in this course. You are responsible for all the information covered in lecture and assigned readings. The majority of information on exams will come from lectures, but I will also pull in important topics from the text and other readings that we may not have had time to cover in class. It is your responsibility to learn as much as you can in this course. If you are working very hard and still having problems, please come talk to me and we will discuss how you might be able to study more effectively. Exam scores will be posted on Scholar as soon as they are available. If you think that an error has been made in grading your exam, you must come to my office hours and talk to me prior to the next exam. For example, I will only make changes to the assigned grades for midterm #1 until midterm #2. You need to review all material carefully and punctually. In-class quizzes and additional assignments (90 points, ~15% of final grade): There will be approximately 100 points worth of in-class quizzes/participation points and additional assignments this semester. Of these, a maximum of 90 will be counted toward your grade. We will be using i>clickers extensively in class (see information below). At the beginning of class, there will generally be a quiz question based on the prior lecture or assigned reading material. These quizzes will be worth 1 point for the correct answer and 0.5 points for any other answer (participation). Additional i>clicker questions presented during lecture will be worth 0.5 points each (participation). No make-ups will be allowed for in-class points for any reason. Additional assignments will be described in Scholar, along with due dates. Assignment 1 is available on Scholar now and is due on Thursday, August 30. Missing exams and additional assignments You must take exams and turn in the additional assignments as scheduled unless you have an official excuse or a documented medical emergency. Makeup exams will likely be in an essay format. If you have more than 3 exams scheduled in your courses in a 24-hour period, you may reschedule provided you bring in your course syllabi showing the conflicts, or provide letters from your other instructors. This applies for mid-terms only. Requests to reschedule a final exam MUST be made through the Dean’s Office. Please note that no in-class quizzes or participation points can be made up, regardless of the reason for missing class. Assignment of final grades Letter grades will be assigned based on the percentage of the 590 possible points earned: A 93-100 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62 F below 60 A curve may be applied if the class average is below 75. i>clickers You are required to purchase an i>clicker2 remote for in-class participation. Unfortunately, previous versions of the i>clicker will not work because they do not support open-ended questions (i.e., those with answers in word or number form). If you have a previous version of the i>clicker, you are eligible for a rebate when you buy the i>clicker2: http://www.iclicker.com/customers/education/VirginiaTech/. To receive credit for i>clicker questions given in class, you will need to register your i>clicker remote online by September 6. This can be done on the Scholar site for the class. If you have already registered your i>clicker for another class, you shouldn’t need to register it again. i>clicker will be used every day in class, and you are responsible for bringing your remote daily. If you forget your remote or miss class, you will not be able to make-up the in-class points. Honor code The University honor code is in effect for all exams and quizzes. Any attempt to give or receive information to/from another student on an exam or to use unauthorized material during an exam will be reported to the University Honor System. If you are having problems with the material or need help studying, please come and talk to me or start a study group with other class members. Sharing class information and helping each other learn is strongly encouraged at all times except during exams and quizzes. Please note that the use of another student’s i>clicker during class is considered a violation of the honor code by both the student to whom the i>clicker is registered and by the student using it in class, and will be treated as such. Special accommodation If you need any special accommodations in class, please contact me as soon as possible.