ECOL335 Evolutionary Biology Spring 2025 Lecture Slides PDF

Happy New Year and Welcome to ECOL335 Evolutionary Biology Spring 2025!  Welcome to ECOL335! Dr. Ferriere, Instructor Dr. Michod, Instructor First half of the course Second half of the course (til Spring Break) (after Spring Break) In the Ferriere Lab...

Happy New Year and Welcome to ECOL335 Evolutionary Biology Spring 2025!  Welcome to ECOL335! Dr. Ferriere, Instructor Dr. Michod, Instructor First half of the course Second half of the course (til Spring Break) (after Spring Break) In the Ferriere Lab we develop theory and models to study How does ecology influence evolution? How does evolution feed back on ecology? how evolution shapes ecological systems and their responses to environmental change. In the Michod Lab they use theory, lab experiments, genomics, and philosophy to study major evolutionary transitions in the history of life.  SoRi (she/her) Jay (he/his) Matt (he/his) Team TA! Rebecca Molly (she/her) (she/her) Sav (they/them) Our textbook… Evolution Third Edition CARL T. BERGSTORM LEE ALAN DUGATKIN  Our grand challenge: making sense of the diversity and unity of life on Earth. evolutionposters.com Since Aristotle, growing understanding that planet Earth is old (4.5 By), has changed (a lot: atmosphere, continents…)… Hadean Earth Late Archean Earth Rodinia Snowball Earth Cambrian Middle Jurassic 4.5 to 4 Bya 2.8 Bya 900 Mya 650 Mya 500 Mya 170 Mya www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/travel-through-deep-time-interactive-earth-180952886/ …and that life has changed a lot too! The Ediacaran fauna of soft-bodied animals… 600 Mya Oldest fossil of a cell, 3.5 By old Multi-cellular Earliest fossil evidence of a brain An old eukaryotic cell, red alga, 1.2 By old in this Haikouichthys in the 1.5 By old Cambrian, 530 Ma. …and that life has changed a lot too! The Ediacaran fauna of soft-bodied animals… 600 Mya Species and populations evolve! Oldest fossil of a cell, 3.5 By old Multi-cellular An old eukaryotic cell, red alga, 1.2 Earliest fossil evidence of a brain 1.5 By old By old in this Haikouichthys, 530 Ma. Charles Darwin’s great insight: evolution is descent with modification. All life forms are related! All organisms descend from a common ancestor. Natural selection is a major process explaining how populations and species change. The mechanisms of heredity were unkown of Darwin… From Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) to Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958), genetics resolved how evolution works. Lynn Margulis (1938-2011) explained the evolution of the eukaryotic cell as the product of a symbiosis between bacteria. Christiane (Janni) Nüsslein-Volhard, Nobel prize winner in 1995, discovered the HOX genes, key to the evolution of animal diversity. Cassandra Extavour showed that the action of natural selection begins among germ cells and that this influences how animals develop and reproduce. Svante Pääbo, Nobel prize winner in 2022, has advanced ancient DNA analysis to reveal our common history with other human species.  One of our key learning objectives: Why evolution matters to all of us, today!  Why evolution matters to all of us, today! From species domestication…  Why evolution matters to all of us, today! …to the discovery and use of new drugs…  Why evolution matters to all of us, today! …to the control of infectious diseases… Evolutionary epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 with genome sampling globally since pandemic start. https://nextstrain.org/ncov/gisaid/global/all-time  Why evolution matters to all of us, today! …to the way we interact with all living things! We are one big extended family! www.evogeneao.com How this class works We will use active and collaborative learning. A lot of learning will be done through activities, in class and in discussion. Your participation and engagement in the class activities and discussion is key to your learning success! We will be using “clicker questions” and polling technology, supported by Top Hat. To participate in the polling response system you will need an active Top Hat account and response device (Apple or Android devices or a computer). If you don’t have an active subscription yet, please see the course syllabus for detail about how to get one asap.  Question title: Test 1 Have you taken Intro Bio 182R (LECTURES)? A. Yes B. No  Question title: Test 2 Have you taken Intro Bio 182L (LABS)? A. Yes B. No  Question title: Test 3 Have you taken Genetics 320? A. Yes B. No  Question title: Test 4 What MAJOR are you considering? A. EEB B. MCB C. General Biology D. Other  Lectures and Discussion: your presence is mandatory, your participation is essential! Polling questions in Lectures (10%) Weekly assignments (online quiz) (10%) Discussion participation and reading assignments (x4) (12%) Midterm exams (x4, each 16%, lowest dropped), final exam (cumulative, 20%) NO MAKE-UP ASSIGNMENTS! NO MAKE-UP EXAMS! We drop one exam (not the Final!), one assignment, and three polling sessions to accomodate for unexpected circumstances. DON’T TRAVEL ON EXAM DATES! FINAL EXAM IS ON MAY 13th, 10:30-12:30  Textbook used for Readings, pre- or post-lectures, listed in Syllabus. support: use it to improve your understanding. InQuizitive: great practice questions (does not count towards overall grade) eBook provided through D2L at ~$50 unless you opt-out by 1/28 on D2L. InQuizitive comes with eBook. Discussion sections Discussion sections are intended to help you understand challenging core concepts. You will do hands-on activities, read and discuss papers. Attendance and participation are required (graded)! Discussion sections start meeting this week. Checklist for my lectures and related work Prior to lecture meeting Review previous session. Download weekly Study Guide. At lecture meetings Have response device ready. You may need the Study Guide to work on some of the activities. Post lecture (Thursday) Weekly assignment (mandatory): online quizzes on D2L, mix of multiple choice, short answers, posted Thursday, due following Thursday at 11AM. For more practice: o Practice questions in Study Guide o Readings in textbook (sections listed in syllabus) o Practice questions with InQuizitive assignments (link through D2L).  Syllabus, Lecture slides, Study Guide, Discussion material, Announcements posted on D2L Instructor contact policy The TAs are your first point of contact for questions about absences and the grading of weekly assignments, discussion participation, and exams. For questions about Top Hat technology, please contact Top Hat support desk: [email protected], 1-888-663- 5491 or in-app live chat. For assistance with the course material, you can attend the office hours of any TA or instructor. What you should do to succeed in ECOL 335…  NEVER miss class  ALWAYS participate in activities and discussion  Take NOTES  REVIEW lecture and discussion material, study guides, weekly assignments  PRACTICE Extra-credit survey on “teaching evolution”  Extra-credit survey on “teaching evolution” Survey is part of a research project on teaching evolution sponsored by the NSF Survey offered 3 times (at beginning, midway, at the end of course) You will receive half point extra credit for each survey you complete, up to 1.5 points The survey takes 30-60 minutes. You must complete the survey in one sitting You will be asked whether you consent to your data being used in research You receive the class credit regardless of your consenting status You will be asked your name, so we can give you credit, however, your name will be de- identified from your answers to create a database of anonymous answers We will know only if you took the survey (so we can give you credit) We will not know if you consented to the research use of your data We will not know your answers We will not see the de-identified data until after grades are assigned in May This survey is overseen by the UofA Institutional Review Board (IRB) whose job it is to protect you, the student research subjects IRB requires someone outside the course to oversee the survey and de-identify data. That person is Dr. Dinah Davison. Explore! Travel Through Deep Time With This Interactive Earth https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/travel-through-deep- time-interactive-earth-180952886/ Explore! Exploring our Extended Evolutionary Family! https://www.evogeneao.com/en/explore/tree-of-life-explorer www.evogeneao.com Explore! Real-time tracking of pathogen evolution https://nextstrain.org/