George A. Lozano
Evolution - Syllabus
Instructor : Dr. George A. Lozano
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Course Description
The Official Version: Natural Selection and Darwinian evolution, includes concepts of population and quantitative genetics, speciation, neutral theory and molecular evolution, phylogenetics, comparative genomics and macroevolution including labs and discussion.
My 2 ¢ : Hopefully we all have heard of evolution before; in this course I will review the principles of evolution, and highlight the implications to other areas of life (that is, biology). I will start with ideas before Darwin, Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the so-called “modern synthesis” or Neo-Darwinism, and some current applications and developments.
“Nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution” (Dobzhansky 1973) is a phrase often used by evolutionists when trying to persuade others of the importance of evolution. The phrase might be successful in reinforcing the dogma for those who already agree, but it is likely to be unsuccessful at convincing the rest. This is because of two reasons. First, it is not surprising to hear that Dobzhansky, one of the pre-eminent evolutionists of the 20th century and primary architects of the “modern synthesis”, thought evolution was important. It is as illuminating as hearing the Pope saying that religion is important. Persuasion by adhering to authority figures is fine in religion, but not in science. Second, many biologists conduct their work blissfully unaware of basic evolutionary principles, and to them, their work “makes sense”. Unless we dismiss the vast majority of biologists, with all due respect to Dobzhansky, the statement is simply not true. Instead, perhaps a more realistic statement would be “In the light of evolution, everything in biology makes better sense”.
Knowledge of evolution can shed light into any biological problem, whether one is studying viruses or whales, events taking place in milliseconds or millions of years, affecting individuals or populations, from the scale of the molecule to that of the ecosystem.
The Real Prerequisites.- (1) The ability to read, books, without hyperlinks, continuously and uninterrupted for 30 minutes to an hour, (2) the willingness to use the aforementioned ability, (3) the commitment to put in the required workload (see below), and (4) the desire to learn about evolution, even if you have to fool yourself into thinking that until it becomes so, at least until the end of the course (fake it until you make it).
Learning Outcomes:
1.- Understand why evolution is so important in biology and in society, not only from a purely scientific perspective, but also from a philosophical standpoint.
2.- Comprehend how small genetic changes from generation to generation can lead to major changes across evolutionary time.
3.- Be aware of some of the consequences of evolution to a variety of biological interactions.
4.- Learn about some applied aspects of the study of evolution
My philosophy.- A university course should be a joyful, fruitful and challenging exchange of ideas. Within the constraints of the system, I will do everything I can to make it so, and I hope you will do likewise. It will require a high level of diligence, hopefully competence, and eventually achievement.
In this course, the ability to memorize vast quantities of information will only get you half way there. Whenever possible I will emphasize comprehending concepts, not memorizing facts. You must know the facts and understand the concepts such that you are able to recognize them in different situations, and apply them in new and unexpected ways. You will be tested on your ability to extrapolate, integrate, estimate, conceptualize, and hypothesize.
Lectures TBA
Labs/tutorials TBA
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Grading and Exams
Exams will cover all previously covered material, not just the material covered since the previous exam, or the last month, or the last week.
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Quiz 15%
Test 20%
Exam 35%
Labs/tutorials 35%
Academic Honesty.- I am sure we are all aware of the regulations. If not, please inform yourself.
Missed labs, tests, or exams.- Unless otherwise dictated by official university policies, there shall me no “make-up” labs, tests, or exams. After all, this is biology, not cosmetology. If you have a valid reason for missing any, you shall provide the appropriate documentation. Check the official university policies for what constitutes a valid reason. If the reason is deemed valid, that particular test will not count towards your final grade. At most universities, there are few valid reasons to miss a final exam. I assume the same is true here.​​​​​