Lecture 1 What Is Evolution 2024
Lecture 1 What Is Evolution 2024
Lecture 1
What is evolution?
Natural sciences
Physics studies the fundamental
properties of the universe
Chemistry studies the properties of
atoms and molecules
Biology studies the properties of
living organisms
Evolution
“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light
of evolution.”
Theodosius Dobzhansky
Evolution
Evolution is the core, unifying framework for
understanding our origins, the diversity of life, and all
of biology.
Evolution by natural selection
• 1858: Charles Darwin and Alfred
Russel Wallace present their
papers outlining the theory of
evolution by natural selection
• 1859: Charles Darwin publishes
his book on the same topic
Evolution by natural selection
Evolution is change in populations over time
Wong Qi Yi Ambrose
Zhang Fengqi
Poll Everywhere
• Used for in-class questions to give instant feedback
• You can either use web browser on your computer
or on a smart phone
• Used to assess classroom participation
Course structure
• 13 weeks
• 4 module credits (MC)
• Two lectures per week (Monday 10 am; Wednesday 10
am)
• Each lecture is 1.5 hours
• Pre-lecture Canvas quizzes (5 questions each)
• 4 homework assignments
• Class participation via Poll Everywhere and verbal Q & A
including after lecture
Course structure
• Students read information on lecture
topic before class
• Students take an open-book pre-lecture
Canvas quiz on the lecture topic (quiz
available 48 hours before the lecture)
• Lecture covers same topics as reading,
but may use different examples and
focus on more-challenging concepts
• Textbook: Evolution by Bergstrom and
Dugatkin (1st or 2nd edition)
Assessment
• Pre-lecture quizzes (20%)
• Homework (20%)
• Mid-term test (30%)
• Final exam (30%)
Canvas Discussions (Forum)
Canvas Discussions
An online forum where students can discuss
questions about the course material
• Please post general questions related to course
contents or logistics to the respective threads here
• You can email one of us about questions unique to
you
• Please check the forum regularly: help answer
colleagues’ questions and join in the discussions
Email
Only use email for issues specific to yourself, not to all
students (post general questions related to course
material to the Forum):
John Ascher: [email protected]
Eunice Jingmei Tan [email protected]
• Flexible hours
• Please send an email to schedule
• Zoom consultation may be possible
• Please post questions of general interest to the
‘Discussions’ forum
Readings
• See Canvas for list of lectures and check Quiz
instructions for associated readings
• Together, the readings comprise most, but not all,
of the textbook chapters
Timetable:
also on Canvas
Readings: Lecture
What is evolution? (JA)
What is the evidence for evolution? (JA)
Reading (Chapter)
1 (section 1.1)
2 (section 2.3 to 2.6)
11 (section 11.6 is not
How did life evolve? (ET)
examinable)
see also Canvas including How do variations come about? (ET) 6
weekly summary How do variations get fixed in populations via natural selection? (ET) 7
What is artificial selection, and how do we use it in our lives? (ET) 2.5
How does evolution lead to variation in life histories? (ET) 20.5
How does the environment determine phenotypes? (ET) 9.3 & 9.4
What is the history of life? -Extinction, biogeography, macroevolution (JA) 15
Recess week followed by MIDTERM
4 (except 4.4 & 4.5), 5.7 and
How do we construct evolutionary relationships? (JA)
5.8
What are species? (JA) 14.1 (refresh 2.3)
How does speciation occur? (JA) 14.2 and 14.3
Why sex? - Causes and consequences (JA) 16 up to 16.4
What is sexual selection? (JA) 16.5 and 16.6
What are the major transitions in evolution? (JA) 12
What is convergent evolution? (JA) 4.4
What is coevolution? (JA) 18
How do sociality and altruism evolve? (JA) 17
Thylacine Dingo
(Thylacinus cynocephalus) (Canis lupus)
Lecture 19: What is coevolution?
• Mimicry
• Plants and pollinators
• Character displacement
• Mutualisms
Lecture 20: How do sociality and
altruism evolve?
Lecture 21: What is evo-devo?
• How do modules acquire
unique morphologies and
differentiate from each
other?
• Hox genes
• Conserved toolkit of
development
• Serial homology
• Evolution of body plans
• Evolution of genetic
architecture
Lecture 22: How did humans
evolve?
Lecture 23: How does evolution
affect our lives?
• Bacteria and other pathogens
• Genetic fingerprinting and the law
• Mapping of human diseases
• Improved crops
29 April 2024: Final examination
• Tests material from entire course, but focus is on
second half
• Open-book including pdfs, notes, etc.
• ≈45 multiple-choice questions
• 29 April, 9AM
• Instructions for e-exam as shared on Canvas (same
as midterm). Prepare your laptop with help from
CIT/Exam Soft team.
Before class next Mon there will be a Canvas
quiz on Chapters 1–2 of your textbook
1. Honesty in academic communication
In academia, we pursue truth and knowledge founded on trust that the
work is one's own and is accurate, reproducible, and truthful. This trust
and the reputation of the individual and NUS are destroyed by dishonest
behaviour.
*http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/adminpolicy/acceptance.html#NUSCodeofStudentCondu
ct
1. Honesty in academic communication
Plagiarism – submission of ideas, phrases, paragraphs or figures of others’
as your own (stealing)
“Others” includes books, journals, internet sources and classmates – they
must be acknowledged
reusing your own work without attribution
The university considers plagiarism an offence and will subject students to
disciplinary action
What is plagiarism and how to avoid it?
Short note
http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/success/sl7.htm
E-tutorials on plagiarism
http://emodule.nus.edu.sg/ac
https://connect.le.ac.uk/p72155629/
2. Respecting the rights of others
Not infringing the learning process of fellow students
Distractions, e.g. talking, mobile phone browsing, arriving late
Uncooperative or failure to listen to others during group work
Improper attire for field/lab work – resulting in others having to
work alone
Allowing one’s work to be copied – depriving others opportunity to
learn