BIO120 Introduction to Evolution and Ecology

Course Introduction

• BIO120 is an introductory course covering the principles and concepts of evolution and ecology.
• The course explores the origins of adaptation and biodiversity.

Course Team

• The course instructors include Luke Mahler, Megan Frederickson, and Jill Wheeler.
• Jill and Romy are lecture teaching assistants (TAs).
• Other TAs and technicians are also part of the team.

Course Materials

• The course syllabus is available on Quercus.
• Students should carefully review the syllabus.
• A required eBook "Evolution" by Brian & Deborah Charlesworth is available through the UofT Library ($12.00).
• A laboratory manual ("Adaptation & Biodiversity") is also required ($11.05).
• A lab coat is also a requirement.

Course Location

• The course website is available on Quercus at q.utoronto.ca with a dashboard.
• Students can access lecture slides, videos, quizzes, assignments, test information, and discussion boards through Quercus.
• Important announcements will be sent through Quercus notifications.
• Optional weekly tutorials are offered by professors on alternating Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:10-5pm and 9:10-10am in Ramsay Wright room 432.
• A lecture discussion forum is accessible on Quercus.
• Lab office hours are held in Ramsay Wright room 105. The schedule is on Quercus.
• Contact TAs or technicians for any assistance or additional support (missed labs, conflicting tests, or other issues). Students should email [email protected]

Optional Activities

• Students can participate in BIO120 social events (e.g., meet your classmates at a social event, learn about local birds and wildlife of Toronto).
• Their schedule is posted on Quercus.

Additional Information

• The first week's lab exercises (P*01) begin on September 9-13 and Week 2's labs (P**02) begin on Sept 16-20.
• The lab code is available on Quercus after 5pm on Monday, September 9th.
• Email [email protected] with an ACORN timetable screenshot if not registered in ACORN for a lab.
• The first class lecture notes will cover what evolutionary biology is, how it's studied, and why it's relevant.

Readings

• Charlesworth & Charlesworth "Evolution: A Very Short Introduction"
• Prior knowledge of Mendelian genetics is expected

Lecture 1 Outline

• What is evolutionary biology?
• How is evolution studied?
• Why is evolution relevant?

The Theory of Evolution

• The central unifying concept in biology.
• Influences many other areas of knowledge.
• Tenets: Living things change over time; adaptations arise through natural selection; evolution challenges the view of special creation (direct creation of life forms in their current state).

Important Conclusions About Evolution

• Changes in organisms are gradual, not instantaneous.
• Diversification of lineages through speciation leads to biodiversity.
• All species share a common ancestor.
• Adaptations result from natural selection.
• Biodiversity and adaptations are products of evolution.

Biodiversity and Adaptation

• The diversity of life on Earth.
• The number and types of organisms in an area.
• Adaptations are traits that improve survival or reproduction in a given environment.

Major Areas of Evolutionary Study

• Evolutionary history (patterns).
• Evolutionary mechanisms (processes).
• Microevolution (within species).
• Macroevolution (among species).

Evolutionary History

• Aims for determining evolutionary relationships in terms of common ancestry and grasping long-term patterns in evolution.
• Uses comparative data from systematics, biogeography, paleontology, morphology, development, and molecular biology.
• Includes depicting lineages using phylogenetic trees. This relates the evolutionary pathway back to a common ancestor in a graphical format.

Evolutionary Mechanisms

• Aims at elucidating the processes driving evolutionary changes, specifically natural selection.
• Uses experimental and comparative studies of genetics and ecology within populations.

How is Evolution Studied?

• There are different approaches.
  • Observational studies.
  • Theoretical models (mathematical, verbal, computational)
  • Comparative methods
  • Experimental methods (needs a designed experiment to answer a particular hypothesis).

Evolution of Self-Fertilization

• Students are encouraged to explore specific case studies on self-fertilization.
• Specific examples given in the slides.

Why is Evolution Relevant?

• Children's questions.
• Medicine (e.g., COVID-19 evolution).
• Agriculture (e.g., herbicide and insecticide resistance).
• Environment (e.g., adaptability to climate change).
• Biology (studying life on Earth conceptually)

This quiz covers the principles and concepts of evolution and ecology as introduced in the BIO120 course. Students will explore key topics such as adaptation, biodiversity, and course materials. Ensure you familiarize yourself with the syllabus and required texts for optimal preparation.