BIO 370

EVOLUTION FALL 2015

LECTURE: MW 2:00-3:30 PM UTC 3.122
Instructor: Dr. Mark W. Bierner
bierner@mail.utexas.edu

Office: Biology Instructional Office, NHB 2.650

Hours: Tuesday 2:00-4:00 PM or by appointment

TAs:

Office: PCL 5th Floor Collaborative Commons Area

Hours: Fridays 3:00-4:00 or by appointment

Clara Malouines
clara.malouines@utexas.edu

Discussions: 48695 Friday 9:00-10:00 AM GSB 2.122

48700 Friday 10:00-11:00 AM GSB 2.122
48705 Friday 12:00-1:00 PM JES A209A
48710 Friday 1:00-2:00 PM JES A307A
Textbook: Evolution1st Edition, 2012. Bergstrom and Dugatkin, Norton & Company.
Homepage: We will be using Canvas (canvas.utexas.edu). Access requires you to login with your EID
and Password, and you cannot login unless you are registered in the course.
Course Description: This course is an introduction to biological evolution, including the history of the
field, mechanisms of evolution, and the historical record of evolution on Earth. The prerequisite is an
understanding of basic genetic concepts. You are required to have taken BIO 325 or its equivalent before
taking this course. You should be familiar with the fundamentals of Mendelian and molecular genetics
(e.g., gene inheritance; DNA coding for amino acids in proteins; etc.); it may be worth reviewing basic
genetics by reading the appropriate parts of your favorite introductory biology or genetics text.
Course Format: This course consists of two types of instruction: lectures that will present the course
material in what is hopefully an interesting and helpful-for-learning manner, and discussion sessions that
will allow you to refine your understanding of the material via interaction with your TA and fellow
students. See Discussion Attendance Policy below for more information on discussion session format.
Grading: Your grade will be based on hour exams, discussion attendance/participation, and lecture
attendance. Hour exams will be a combination of multiple-choice, definition, and short
answer/discussion. There will be four one-hour exams worth 80% of the course total (20% each). There
will be 11 discussion sessions over the course of the semester. The best 10 discussion scores will be
worth 14% of the course total (70 points). Of the 70 points for discussion, 20 points will be for
attendance, and 50 points will be for participation (each discussion is worth 7 points 2 for attendance
and 5 for participation). There will be eight pop attendance scores in lecture over the course of the
semester. The best six of the eight will be worth 6% of the course total (30 points). For more
information, see attendance policies below. Here is the breakdown:
Four exams (100 points per exam)
Discussion (best 10 out of 11 @ 7 points per discussion)
Lecture Pop Attendance (best 6 out of 8 @ 5 points each)
Total

Points Possible
400
70
30
500

Percentage
80%
14%
6%
100%

Final Course Grade Standards (Note: I will NOT be using a plus/minus grade system):
90-100% (450-500 points) = A
80-89.9% (400-449 points) = B
70-79.9% (350-399 points) = C
60-69.9% (300-349 points) = D
0-59.9% (0-299 points) = F
NOTE ABOUT BORDERLINE FINAL GRADES: If you have a borderline final grade (e.g. 89.0-89.9%,
79.0-79.9%, etc.), I will take a special look to see if you might receive the benefit of the doubt and qualify
to have your grade raised to the next highest level. I will look in particular at your performance in
discussion and at your attendance record. If you have a really good record in both, you will probably get
your grade raised. If you have a poor record in either or both, you will probably NOT get your grade
raised. My philosophy for the person who misses discussions and(or) cuts lecture class is that you made a
decision to do less in the class than is required, and you probably wouldnt even have been borderline if
you had just done your job. To me, blowing off discussion and(or) lecture is like saying, Dr. Bierner,
please give me the lower grade. And, my answer will be, Your wish has been granted.
Lecture Exam Policy: It is your responsibility to arrive at the exams on time. Exams will be held in our
regular classroom during regular class times. Students who arrive late will not be given additional time,
and anyone arriving after other students have finished and left will not be permitted to take the exam.
Failing to take a scheduled examination will result in a score of 0 unless replaced by a make-up exam in a
timely fashion. Make-up examinations will only be given in cases where there is a documented excuse
beyond your reasonable control:
Illness you must have a physician note indicating that you were not in a physical condition to take
the exam at the scheduled time. A note from a family member is insufficient.
Death or grave illness in your immediate family.
Significant scheduling conflicts such as medical school interviews, or athletic participation in NCAA
sporting events.
The nature of the make-up exam will be decided by the instructor and may consist of a written and/or oral
examination.
If you believe a grading error was made on an exam, you may submit a typed appeal within a week
(7 days) of when the grade was returned to you. Your written appeal should be based on course materials
and should stress the scientific validity of your original response.
Please keep the following in mind when it comes to requesting a re-grade:
In the past, the vast majority of re-grade requests have been WITHOUT merit.
Time and again students have included in their appeals information that was NOT in the original answer
on the exam. We can only re-grade what is on the exam, NOT what was in someones mind.
If I feel that you actually received more credit for an answer than you deserved when the exam was
originally graded, I will not hesitate to DEDUCT points from your exam. In addition, the entire exam is
subject to re-grading if I so desire.
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We strive to be fair in our grading and re-grading of exams; a great deal of effort goes into this. If you
really feel that you did not receive the credit that you deserved for an answer, then you are certainly
welcome to submit a re-grade request. We only ask that you CAREFULLY consider the original answer
you gave to a question and the credit you received. Re-grade requests that are frivolous and without merit
will NOT be well received.
Due to time constraints at the end of the semester, there will be no re-grades for Exam IV.
Lecture Attendance Policy: Lecture attendance is not mandatory, but considering the fact that 6% of
your grade will come from lecture pop attendance, I strongly suggest that you attend. Besides, Ive
always believed that going to class is part of the educational process and the university experience.
Discussion Attendance Policy: Discussion attendance is mandatory. BIO 370 has required weekly
meetings to discuss readings from the literature or other sources. They are an essential part of the course,
as it is the place where you are asked to think like a scientist and have the opportunity to critically discuss
ideas and the evidence supporting them. Attendance and participation in the discussions are required and
will contribute to the discussion grade (see Grading above). All the assigned readings should be read
carefully before you attend your discussion section. Come prepared to talk about the subject of the
reading. It is not required that you fully understand the reading before each discussion. Rather, through
your conversation with the other students in your section and with your TA, we expect you to develop a
better understanding of the readings and of what they mean to science. If you find a reading particularly
difficult, you should feel comfortable using the discussion section to ask questions for clarification. To
help you formulate your thoughts on each paper, you are required to come up with two questions
about the reading prior to each discussion and to bring the two questions to your discussion section
on a sheet of paper with your name on it. The questions must be handed to the TA at the beginning of
the discussion session. Discussion readings may cover material not specifically discussed in lectures, and
discussion readings will be tested in the exams. Do not switch discussion sections without permission
from your TA, or you will not receive credit for the discussions into which you switched.
Religious Holidays and Excused Absences: Please let us know if you will be missing class/discussion
for a recognized religious holiday, or if you were unable to attend discussion for a legitimate reason such
as illness (a doctors note will be required for the latter). You will be noted in the discussion attendance
and lecture attendance records as having an excused absence. For discussion, this applies only to the
attendance portion. It will be up to you to work with your TA to come up with some form of make-up
work for the participation portion. You will NOT automatically receive discussion participation points.
Incomplete Policy: Any incomplete grade given must be verified with a written agreement with the
student that specifies the work to be done and a timetable for completion. In accordance with University
policy, the grade of incomplete can only be awarded in cases of students whose circumstances prevent
them from finishing the required work for the course.
Special Needs and Accommodations: We will do everything in our power to accommodate students
with special needs. The following is from the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) homepage:
At SSD, we determine eligibility and help implement reasonable accommodations for students with
disabilities at the University of Texas at Austin. More general resources for the UT community may be
found on UTs Disability Resource page.
SSD is housed in the Office of the Dean of Students, located on the fourth floor of the Student
Services Building. Information on how to register, downloadable forms, including guidelines for
documentation, accommodation request letters, and releases of information are available online. Please
do not hesitate to contact us at (512) 471-6259, VP: 1-866-329-3986 or via e-mail if you have any
questions. We look forward to making your experience at the university more accessible!
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Academic Integrity: Scholastic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Students who violate rules
on scholastic honesty are subject to disciplinary penalties including the possibility of failing the course
and being dismissed from the university. See http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_whatis.php for
additional information on scholastic dishonesty.
Confidentiality of Student Records: We strive to maintain the anonymity of individual students taking this
course relative to grades given on assignments or exams, or final grades at the completion of the course.
Safety and Security: In the belief that all students, teaching assistants, and instructors deserve a safe and
secure educational environment, weapons of any sort are strictly banned from my classroom.
Some Important Dates:
August 31 Last day of the official add/drop period. After this date, changes in registration may require
the approval of the department chair and usually the students Dean. Last day undergraduate students
may register and pay tuition without the approval of the registrar.
September 7 Labor Day holiday.
September 11 Twelfth class day; this is the date the official enrollment count is taken. Payment for
added classes (add bill) due by 5:00 pm. Last day an undergraduate student may add a class except for
rare and extenuating circumstances. Last day to drop a class for a possible refund.
November 3 Last day an undergraduate student may, with the deans approval, withdraw from the
University or drop a class except for urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reasons. Last day an
undergraduate student may change registration in a class to or from the pass/fail basis.
November 26-28 Thanksgiving holiday.
December 4 Official Last Class Day (our last class day will be December 2).

BIO 370
EVOLUTION FALL 2015
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND EXAMS
Date
Aug 26
Aug 31
Sep 2
Sep 7
Sep 9
Sep 14
Sep 16
Sep 21
Sep 23
Sep 28
Sep 30
Oct 5
Oct 7
Oct 12
Oct 14
Oct 19
Oct 21
Oct 26
Oct 28
Nov 2
Nov 4
Nov 9
Nov 11
Nov 16
Nov 18
Nov 23
Nov 25
Nov 26
Nov 30
Dec 2

Topic
Course Information
Lecture 1 Darwins Theory
Lecture 2 Natural Selection
Labor Day
Lecture 3 Natural Selection
Lecture 4 Sexual Selection
Lecture 5 Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation
Lecture 6 Transmission Genetics and the Sources of Genetic Variation
EXAM I During Regular Class Time in Regular Lecture Classroom
Lecture 7 The Genetics of Populations
Lecture 8 The Genetics of Populations
Lecture 9 The Genetics of Populations
Lecture 10 Evolution in Finite Populations
Lecture 11 Evolution in Finite Populations
Lecture 12 Evolution in Finite Populations
EXAM II During Regular Class Time in Regular Lecture Classroom
Lecture 13 Phylogeny and Evolutionary History
Lecture 14 Phylogeny and Evolutionary History
Lecture 15 Phylogeny and Evolutionary History
Lecture 16 Inferring Phylogeny
Lecture 17 Inferring Phylogeny
EXAM III During Regular Class Time in Regular Lecture Classroom
Lecture 18 Species and Speciation
Lecture 19 Species and Speciation
Lecture 20 The Evolutionary History of Humans
Lecture 21 Coevolution
No Class
Thanksgiving
Lecture 22 Evolution and Medicine
EXAM IV During Regular Class Time in Regular Lecture Classroom

Chapter
2.5-2.9
3
3
17.1-17.3
6
6
7
7
7
8
8
8
4
4
4
5
5
14
14
14
19
20

Final Exam: The fourth exam (Dec 2) will serve as the final exam. No additional exam will be given during finals week.

BIO 370 EVOLUTION

FALL 2015 DISCUSSION SCHEDULE
Week
Aug 28
Sep 4
Sep 11
Sep 18
Sep 25
Oct 2
Oct 9
Oct 16
Oct 23
Oct 30

DISCUSSION SESSIONS
No Discussion
Discussion 1
Discussion 2
Discussion 3
No Discussion
Discussion 4
Discussion 5
Discussion 6
Discussion 7
Discussion 8

READING(S)

Nov 6
Nov 13
Nov 20
Nov 27
Dec 4

Discussion 9
Discussion 10
Discussion 11
No Discussion Thanksgiving
No Discussion

Everyday Math of Evolution

Zuk et al. (2006) Biol. Lett. 2:521524
Cresko et al. (2004) PNAS 101:60506055

Stinchcombe & Hoekstra Heredity 100:158-170

Textbook: Box 7.9, Box 8.1, Box 8.2
Tinghitella et al. (2011) J. Evol. Biol. 24:1199-1211
Baum et al. (2005) Science 310:979-980
Kittler et al. (2003) Current Biology 13:1414-1417
Kittler et al. (2004) Current Biology 14:2309
Felsenstein (1985) American Naturalist 125:1-15
Seehausen (2008) Nature 455:620-626
Greaves & Maley (2012) Nature 481:306-313