Evolution 350.001
A study of the mechanisms and patterns of plant and animal evolution with emphasis on the species level of organization.

News!    News & Announcements

R. T. Dillon
Science Center Room 200A
953-8087, DillonR@fwgna.org

1. Office hours are right before class, MWF 10 - 10:50 AM.  If these hours don’t suit, please make an appointment.

2. Text is Evolution (Third Edition), by Mark Ridley.

3. Homework.  You will notice on the syllabus that I have assigned readings corresponding to each lecture topic.  Please complete the reading before we discuss the subject in class, or immediately thereafter.   Many of the review questions that follow the text chapters are good.  In addition, I will distribute seven supplementary homework problem sets during the semester.  A portion of your grade will be based on homework checks, due no later than the last day of class.  Each problem set must be solved in pencil, complete (no partials!) and submitted separately.

4.  Darwin Week Report.  A series of lectures and other events has been scheduled around campus Feb 11 - 14, in celebration of the 199th birthday of Charles Darwin.  Your assignment will be to attend one of these events and write a brief report. 

5. Help sessions are generally scheduled in the evening several days before each of the three midterm tests, as well as the final comprehensive examination.  I will not have anything planned to say, but will be happy to answer questions and solve homework problems.

6. Attendance at lecture is not required.  I don’t take roll.  But attendance for tests is another matter.  Contact me as soon as possible if you find you must miss a test to schedule a make-up.  Make-up tests taken in advance are generally equivalent to those administered to the class as a whole. The later the make-up test, the greater its difficulty.  I do not want to hear your excuse.  

7. Course Grading:
 

3 midterm tests @ 100 pts each
300
Homework checks
50
Term paper
 50
Comprehensive exam
200
TOTAL points
600

    90% is the lowest A, 80% the lowest B, 70% the lowest C, and 60% the lowest D.

 Course Resources:

Interesting Links:

DARWIN - The American Museum of Natural History had a marvelous exhibition in 2005-06.  The website is still up and very interesting.

The Origin of Species - The complete text of Darwin’s classics on line.

Population Biology, Evolution & Biomath Educational Index - See the big list of links and resources on population genetics.

Understanding Evolution - The Berkeley website, "Your one-stop source for information on evolution."

The Evolution Project - Slick website designed to accompany the PBS television special on Evolution.  The essays and activities are quite edifying as a stand-alone resource.

Evolution and The Fossil Record - Online version of a booklet by Pojeta & Springer published by the American Geological Institute.

EvoNet.org - A worldwide network for evolutionary biology.

Human Evolution - A good first step into an area of much web interest.

Creation/Evolution Controversy - Super archives and links to background on religion & science, creationist misunderstandings, frequently asked questions about evolution, the fossil record, the age of the earth, much more.

The Panda's Thumb - The #1 blog on the creation / evolution controversy. 

South Carolinians for Science Education - Follow the creation / evolution controversy in the Palmetto State.