Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Simon Griffith
Kate Barry
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MConsBiol or GradDipConsBiol or GradCertConsBiol or MSc or MScInnovationBioConsMgmt
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit deals coherently with the unifying theory of the biological sciences - evolution. Evolutionary biology helps us to understand the history of life on earth, and the inter-relationships between different groups of organisms. The unit will examine how evolutionary processes create biodiversity in the natural world with respect to organismal structure, physiology, and behaviour. The unit will also demonstrate how an evolutionary framework informs contemporary issues such as the emergence of pandemic disease, the human obesity crisis, and selection as a result of global climate change.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.
Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Required reading
Evolution: Making sense of Life (second edition), Carl Zimmer & Douglas J. Emlen (2016), Roberts and Company Publishers Inc, Greenwood Village, Colorado, US. ISBN 978-1-936221-55-4
This text-book is required reading for the course and complements the material covered in lectures and practical classes. Students will be examined on material that may be covered only in the lectures, the text-book, or the practical component.
Required unit materials
For practical classes we recommend that you use an A4 ring-binder with lined paper for taking notes and blank paper for diagrams.
You will also need a lab coat and enclosed shoes for every practical class in accordance with standard laboratory safety procedures. Without either of these you will not be allowed entry to the laboratory.
Lecture graphics and recordings will be available on ilearn (http://ilearn.mq.edu.au).
iLearn is a web-based communication package and can be accessed by most web browsers from inside or outside the University. iLearn and email will be the primary methods of communication in this subject.
You are expected to use iLearn for:
How do you log in? The URL for iLearn log in page is: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.
You must log in each time you use it. Your user name is your student number, and your password is your myMQ student portal password, provided upon enrolment (unless you’ve changed it). If you are having trouble accessing your online unit due to a disability or health condition, please go to the Student Services Website for information on how to get assistance. If you are having problems logging on, that is, if you cannot log in after ensuring you have entered your username and password correctly, you should contact Student IT Help, Phone: (02) 9850 4357.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
There are three components to the schedule. 1. The pre-recorded lecture material that will all be posted online and covers the fundamental material that contributes to an understanding of evolutionary biology and follows the structure of the text book. 2. The practical classes that will introduce you to 'hands-on' evolutionary biology and complement the material in lectures. 3. The case study material that will be delivered through the provision of material online each week, as well as through the case-study classes given each week in the class time (8-10 Tuesday morning).
The schedule for each of these three components is given below
Lecture outline
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DATE |
TOPIC |
LECTURER |
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1 |
25 Feb |
Introduction/ Course overview |
SG
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2 |
25 Feb |
The approach to Evolutionary Biology (Ch. 1 in text) |
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3 |
3 March |
History of evolutionary ideas (Ch. 2 in text) |
JA
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4 |
3 March |
The tree of life (Ch. 4 in text) |
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5 |
10 March |
Biogeography |
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6 |
10 March |
Macroevolution (Ch. 14 in text) |
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7 |
17 March |
Heritable variation among individuals (Ch. 5 in text) |
SG
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8 |
17 March |
Heritable variation among individuals (Ch. 5 in text) |
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9 |
24 March |
Drift and Selection (Ch. 6 in text) |
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10 |
24 March |
Drift and Selection (Ch. 6 in text) |
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11 |
31 March |
Quantitative genetics (Ch. 7 in text) |
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12 |
31 March |
Quantitative genetics (Ch. 7 in text) |
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13 |
7 April |
Natural Selection (Ch.8 in text) |
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14 |
7 April |
Natural Selection (Ch.8 in text) |
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MID SEMESTER BREAK
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13 |
28 April |
History in genes (Ch. 9 in text) |
SG
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14 |
28 April |
Adaptation (Ch. 10 in text) |
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15 |
5 May |
Sex: causes and consequences (Ch. 11 in text) |
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16 |
5 May |
Sex: causes and consequences (Ch. 11 in text) |
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17 |
12 May |
Life history evolution (Ch. 12 in text) |
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18 |
12 May |
Life history evolution (Ch. 12 in text) |
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19 |
19 May |
Origin of species (Ch. 13 in text) |
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20 |
19 May |
Origin of species (Ch. 13 in text) |
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21 |
26 May |
Intimate partnerships: co-evolution (Ch. 14 in text) |
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22 |
26 May |
Intimate partnerships: co-evolution (Ch. 14 in text) |
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23 |
2 June |
No lecture |
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24 |
2 June |
No lecture |
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Case study outline
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Week beginning |
TOPIC |
LECTURER |
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1 |
25 Feb |
Introduction |
SG
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3 March |
NO CASE STUDY – reading for wk3 |
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2 |
10 March |
Snail shell polymorphism |
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3 |
17 March |
Plant domestication |
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4 |
24 March |
Extinction |
JA |
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5 |
31 March |
Migration |
SG
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6 |
7 April |
Urban evolution |
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MID SEMESTER BREAK
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7 |
28 April |
Adaptation to climate change |
SG
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8 |
5 May |
Animal domestication |
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9 |
12 May |
Biogeography and Darwin’s finches |
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10 |
19 May |
Evolution of sperm |
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11 |
26 May |
Virus evolution |
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2 June |
NO CASE STUDY |
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Practical Sessions
Session week |
DATE |
ACTIVITY |
1 |
24 February |
NO PRACTICAL |
2 |
2 March |
Variation – Shells and bills |
3 |
9 March |
Seed size |
4 |
16 March |
Phylogeny |
5 |
23 March |
Selection on Campus (I) |
6 |
30 March |
Selection on Campus (II) |
7 |
6 April |
NO PRACTICAL |
8 |
27 April |
Evolution of Bill morphology (SimBio + specimens) |
9 |
4 May |
NO PRACTICAL |
10 |
11 May |
Adaptation to climate – fruit flies |
11 |
18 May |
Guppies (Photos + SimBio) |
12 |
25 May |
Clinal variation in acacia |
13 |
1 June |
NO PRACTICAL |
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Date | Description |
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11/02/2020 | made the additional changes |