PLBIO 2440 - Evolutionary Plant Biology

(OPHLS-AG)

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: BIOG 1500 or equivalent laboratory course.

K. Niklas.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of microevolution (evolution at or below the species level) and macroevolution (evolution above the species level) with an emphasis on plants as exemplars for understanding evolutionary theory and the interpretation of data pertaining to evolution. The topics to be covered include population generics, developmental biology (including comparative embryology and anatomy), theories about speciation (including allopatric, sympatric, and peripatric models), the empirical study of speciation (examples include autopolyploidy, and allopolypoidy), macroevolution (including species selection, kin selection, and multilevel selection theory), the evolution of multicellularity, physical constraints on evolution, evolutionary ecology, and major evolutionary transitions as recorded in the fossil record.

Outcome 1: Students will learn to think critically about evolutionary theory.

Outcome 2: Students will understand the various lines of evidence supporting the theory of evolution: evidence drawn from molecular biology, population genetics, comparative studies (of mbryology, morphology, and anatomy), biogeography, and the fossil record.

Outcome 3: Students will come to appreciate the importance of plants to understanding evolutionary theory, and to learn that much of evolutionary theory is incomplete when viewed in the absence of understanding plant biology.