Evolutionary Ecology

PCB 4999 - Spring  2005

Lecture:  Tuesday and Thursday 11 am - 12:15 pm in GL 149

Fieldtrips on several Saturday mornings
 

Dr. Suzanne Koptur

T.A.  Daniel Gomez
OE 232, ph. 305-348-3103 HLS 212
office hrs M 1:30 - 3:30 pm; T 9:30 - 10:30 office hrs TBA
kopturs@fiu.edu Daniel.gomez3@fiu.edu

Web-CT link

Course description:

We will examine the adaptations organisms make to their environments (all levels, from the individual, through the population, to the community).  Students will explore physiological and biological stresses and the subsequent adapations of organisms under these forces.  Life history strategies, breeding systems, and multitrophic interactions will be given special attention.  A general background in ecology is assumed (Prerequisite: PCB 3043, a general ecology class, or permission of instructor).  Basic principles and foundations of the field will be considered as well as current research.   Readings will come from a textbook (see syllabus that follows) and articles from the current literature to expand the topics.  Lectures will be interspersed with discussion activities to maximize student participation in the learning process.

Each student will write three (5-pg.) papers (library research, with original synthesis, on topics chosen by mutual consent of student and professor) during the semester, and participate in one or more group projects.  There will be two exams during the semester and a final exam.  Grades will be determined as follows:  first two exams 15% each (30%), final exam 20%, each paper 10% (30%), project 10%, and class participation (leading and participating in discussions) 10%.

All students are expected to do original work.  Plagiarism of any type will not be tolerated and will be basis for failing the course.  If you are unsure of what plagiarism is, and how to correctly use and cite reference materials, please check out the links on our library web page (my favorite is from Canada:   http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/ ).  We will be using the services of "TurnItIn" to check the proper use of materials in papers written for this course.
 

Textbook:  Fox, C.W., D. A. Roff, and D.J. Fairbairn.  2001.  Evolutionary Ecology:  concepts and case studies.  Oxford University Press.

Day/ date

Topic

Chapters 
T / 11 January Introduction
R / 13 Jan Variation 1 & 2
T / 18 Jan Natural Selection  3
R / 20 Jan Adaptation 4
T / 25 Jan Plasticity 5
R / 27 Jan Population Structure 6
T / 1 Feb Inbreeding / Outbreeding   7
R / 3 Feb Age and Size at Maturity  [Fairchild Tropical Garden Fieldtrip Saturday 5 Feb] 8
T / 8 Feb Offspring size and number [First Paper Due] 9
R / 10 Feb Exam 1 [SK at Kampong]
T / 15 Feb Senescence and Life Cycles 10 & 11
R / 17 Feb Sex and Gener, Sex Ratios 12 & 13
T / 22 Feb Group project work [SK in Mexico]
R / 24 Feb Group project work [SK in Mexico ]
T / 1 Mar Specialization and Generalization 14
R / 3 Mar Mating Systems and Sexual Selection 15 & 16
T / 8 Mar Cooperation and Altruism  [Second Paper Due] 17
R / 10 Mar Foraging Behavior  [Pine Rocklands/Metrozoo Fieldtrip Saturday 8:30 am-noon] 12 Mar 18
T / 15 Mar Movement (Dispersal) 19
R / 17 Mar Exam 2
T / 22 Mar SPRING BREAK 
R / 24 Mar SPRING BREAK
T / 29 Mar Ecological Character Displacement 20
R / 31 Mar Predator-Prey Interactions 21
T / 5 Apr Parasite-Host Interactions 22
R / 7 Apr Plant-Herbivore Interactions 23
T / 12 Apr Mutualisms 24
R / 14 Apr Geographic Dynamics of Coevolution  [Third Paper Due] 25
T / 18 Apr Pesticide Resistance and Biological Control  26, 27
R / 20 Apr Evolutionary Conservation Biology 28
R / 28 Apr Final Exam Due and Final Presentations   9:30 - 12:15