BIOEE 1780 - Evolutionary Biology and Diversity

Fall, spring, summer. (6-week or 8-week session.) 4-5 credits, variable. (4 credits with 3 lec and 1 disc sec per week; 5 credits with 3 lec per week and a Writing in the Majors disc sec that meets twice per week.) S-U or letter grade. (Biological sciences majors must take course for a letter grade.)

Students taking 5-credit option read additional materials from primary literature and write essays in place of regular exams. (Students may not preregister for 5-credit option; interested students complete application form on first day of class.) 5-credit option limited to 15 students per sec each semester. 5-credit option is not offered in the summer. Fall and spring: limited to 300 students each semester. Summer: limited to 25 students/sec; minimum of 10. One field trip.

Fall, I. Lovette; spring, K. Zamudio.

Considers explanations for pattern of diversity and the apparent good fit of organisms to the environment. Topics include the diversity of life, the genetics and developmental basis of evolutionary change, processes at the population level, evolution by natural selection, modes of speciation, long-term trends in evolution, origin of humans.