SYLLABUS

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Evolutionary Biology

California State University Long Beach, Department of Biological Sciences.
Evolutionary Biology (Bio 312), Fall 2024.
Course meeting location: AS 244.
Course instructor: Dr. Ashley Carter.

Technical Information

Catalog description:
A general survey of the various areas of evolutionary biology including but not limited to population genetics, speciation, origin of life, and phylogenetic analysis. Main emphasis is on evolutionary mechanisms and methods of analysis with some emphasis on specific details of the evolutionary history of life.

Course prerequisites:
Three-semester introductory biology sequence (Bio 211, 212, 213) and biostatistics (Bio 260).

This course is a upper-level requirement for all general biology majors at CSULB, and is not a course for non-majors.

Course format

This course meets twice a week for 75 minutes and uses a "flipped" course format. Material typically presented in lectures will be posted online in video format while scheduled class time will be used for discussions and group activities.

  • The course consists of 15 instructional weeks (plus the week of Thanksgiving) divided into 4 sections.
  • The course runs in a weekly format with videos to watch each week and related in-class activities done in groups.
  • The lecture videos to watch for each week are available on YouTube via links on the weekly schedule page.
  • There are weekly quizzes taken online on the days indicated on the weekly schedule page.
  • After each day, the files used for the in-class activities will be posted on the weekly schedule page.
  • There are exams at the end of each of the 4 sections on the dates listed on the weekly schedule page.
  • Information about each exam, and exams from previous semesters, are available on the exams page.
  • There are three essay assignments, more information is on the weekly schedule page.
  • .
  • Review the schedule on the weekly schedule page to plan your personal schedule for the semester.

Lecture office hours:
  • On campus (MICR 010): Mondays 2:00-3:00 PM
  • Via Zoom (see email): TBA

Canvas

Canvas will be used for the quizzes and exams. All files and links to the videos for class will be distributed via the course website.

Textbook

The text for this course is:
  • J. C. Herron & Freeman, S. 2014. Evolutionary analysis. Fifth Edition. Prentice Hall.
  • Companion website

The textbook is not required, but it is recommended, especially if you have trouble understanding the material.

Semester overview

The course is divided into four sections, each corresponding to several chapters in the book. Class topics will not necessarily strictly follow the order of topics in the chapters within each section, but will cover much of the material while adding additional material not in the text. You should read all the chapters for each section as soon as you can when we begin that section.

See the weekly schedule page for detail about each week's topics and videos to watch.

Section 1

Textbook chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 17, 18.
Topics covered:
  • Why we study evolution.
  • Philosophy of science and the scientific method.
  • Overview of eight lines of evidence for evolution.
  • Phylogenetics.
  • The prebiotic world and origin of life.
  • History of life and geological time periods.
  • Broad scale systematics of life.
  • History of science with a focus on biology and evolutionary theory.

Section 2

Textbook chapters: 10, 11, 12, 13, 16.
Topics covered:
  • Observational, experimental, and comparative methods for studying evolution.
  • Sexual selection.
  • Life-history theory.
  • Evolution of senescence.
  • Reproductive strategies.
  • Fitness conflicts.
  • Inclusive fitness, kin selection, and altruism.
  • Game theory.
  • Levels of selection.
  • Species definitions and speciation mechanisms.
  • Evolutionary constraints.

Section 3

Textbook chapters: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15.
Topics covered:
  • Introduction to population genetics.
  • Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
  • Modelling selection.
  • Modelling mutation.
  • Modelling migration.
  • Modelling non-random mating.
  • Effective population size.
  • Genetic drift.
  • Fixation probabilities and sojourn times.
  • Multiple loci and linkage disequilibrium.
  • Quantitative genetics.
  • Molecular evolution.

Section 4

Textbook chapters: 19, 20.
Topics covered:
  • Evolutionary developmental biology (i.e., "evo-devo").
  • Evolutionary psychology.
  • Human evolution.

Assessments

Quizzes

There are a series of short quizzes as part of the grade. Two of these are not directly graded, with 15 of them contributing directly to your overall grade.

There is an ungraded sample quiz in Canvas to practice with beforehand to ensure you are familiar with the Canvas quiz procedure. This has a due date matching the first quiz for credit.

The syllabus quiz is has benefits described below in the "Makeup exams and quizzes" section. The questions for the syllabus quiz are posted on the course website beforehand, plan your answers before beginning this quiz. This has a due date matching the first quiz for credit.

The remaining quizzes are based on the videos for the week and questions are not provided in advance. You should prepare ahead of time by watching the lecture videos for the week and taking notes. When you are ready you will log into the site and begin the quiz. The questions are designed to be fairly straightforward and doable if you watch the videos and study beforehand. There will not be lots of extra time (i.e., you need to be prepared in advance instead of expecting to be able to look up each answer as you get the question).

Each quiz will have 10 multiple choice questions and must typically be completed in 10 minutes.

You must take the quiz during the designated time window (typically from 6:00 AM on the previous day up to 3:30 PM on the due date).

See the weekly schedule page for the dates of the quizzes.

Exams

There are 4 exams. The first 3 exams are specific to their section of the course, the last exam is split between material from the last two weeks and cumulative content questions (about 1/3 and 2/3 respectively).

The basic format of each exam is 25 multiple choice questions followed by 5 longer multi-step or essay questions. Some slight variation on this theme may occur. You will have 120 minutes from when you begin the exam to complete it and submit your answers.

Each exam becomes available at 6:00 AM on the previous day and must be submitted before 11:59 PM on the designated day.

See the weekly schedule page for the dates of the exams.

The "exams" page on the course website has a collection of old exams (with keys) from previous semesters to aid you in preparing for the exam. I strongly recommend looking at these early to help with exam preparation.

Essays

There are three essays which you will write during the semester. These are based on scientific papers I provide and are roughly three pages in length. The style and format of these essays is three-part. Note that this should not be a three bullet point style answers, this is the progression of a single continuous essay with natural transitions.

  • In part 1 you briefly summarize the study in your own words.
  • In part 2 you relate one or more of the topics and concepts from the paper to material and lectures from the course.
  • In part 3 you become more creative and propose an experiment or future study that builds on the one in the paper to address a weakness or extend the scientific process into something beyond that one paper.

You will be graded on accuracy, general quality, and the creativity of depth of analysis you demonstrate. You do not need to find other sources, the focus of this essay is your thoughts and ideas. More information about this will be provided in class. Well written essays have the potential to earn extra credit.

Essays will be submitted online and are subject to checks for plagiarism and the use of AI assistance. In situations in which this is deemed to have occurred, a failing grade for the course may be given. Papers written using AI are still easily identified. Write your own essays and you will be fine, use other generative methods and you risk your entire grade for the course.

In-class activities

Participation during in-class activities is a required component of this course. The active learning classroom has several tables and you will be randomly assigned to a different table during each of the 4 parts of the course. During each class period, various group activities will be performed and randomly chosen students will present the results of their group's activity. Working with fellow classmates on these activities is required.

Attendance will be taken during each in-person class period and is used as part of the overall grade for the course (see below).

BMAC versions of assessments

Each online quiz will display multiple versions, including some designated as "BMAC versions" with a note for the degree of extended time. Only if you have an approved BMAC accommodation for that specific degree of extended time may you open or submit these versions. Any student who opens more than one version of a quiz will receive a zero for the item.

For the in-class exams you will have to arrange to take the exams at the BMAC facility in order to have the extra time (the room is not available for extra time). This should be done ASAP so they can schedule the rooms. The syllabus has the exam dates and you must begin or end the exam during the scheduled class time when everyone else is taking the exam.

If you are in the BMAC program, please have your paperwork completed ASAP so I can receive a notice from them confirming your accommodation.

Wi-Fi Access

Be sure to arrange a good internet connection during the times when you take your quizzes. Quizzes not submitted during the specified time window cannot be accepted. Lack of internet access is not a valid excuse for a missed quiz or exam.

If you do not have access to reliable Wi-Fi, the CSULB campus has arranged for areas on campus to have Wi-Fi for students. Here is the link to an interactive map with overlays for outdoor Wi-Fi and seating areas.

Grading

Only traditional grading (A, B, C, D, F) is available.

  • 15%: Exam #1
  • 15%: Exam #2
  • 15%: Exam #3
  • 25%: Exam #4
  • 15%: Quizzes
  • 9%: Essays
  • 6%: Participation in class activities

Participation in class activities is based on class attendance. Students will initially receive the 6% credit, minus 1% for each class period missed after the first. Absences may be allowed without penalty only for university-sponsored events (e.g., athletics), certain planned activities discussed in advance with the instructor, and documented emergencies (see below).

Individual exams and the overall quiz score may be "curved" at the discretion of the instructor. In the event that the class median is below 80%, and the instructor determines that rescaling the scores is appropriate, individual scores will be rescaled by adding points sufficient to move the class median score to 80%.

The final grade will be initially determined using a 90-80-70-60 scale. The required score needed to earn certain letter grades may then be lowered (i.e., grades curved upwards), but this is not guaranteed. The overall grade distribution will be similar to previous semesters of the course and other 300-level CSULB biology major courses.

Quiz and exam policies

Makeup exams and quizzes

Late quizzes are not possible. Plan ahead so you don't miss the generous time window and make sure to click "SUBMIT" when you are done with your quiz so that it is submitted properly. There is an ungraded practice quiz in Canvas which you can take to make sure you understand the procedure.

Since the quizzes are available for over 24 hours, missed items will be scored as zero. Waiting until just a few hours before the deadline and then discovering a fixable problem is not a valid excuse. If you wait until just before the deadline to take a quiz, you are taking a conscious risk that something may come up.

If you take the syllabus quiz, your lowest quiz score may be replaced by the syllabus quiz score if that would improve your quiz average. This includes a missed quiz.

Only exceptional circumstances (i.e., emergencies) during the exam period can be used as an excuse for a missed quiz or exam. Since the excuse would have to cover both days, the bar for such documentation is very high. With a documented excuse, a exam score will be replaced by the average class score for that item. A maximum of one exam can be replaced with the grade from another; a second missed exam will be scored as a zero (an incomplete for the course may be possible under extremely unusual circumstances). Additionally, an extra writing assignment is required for an exam grade replacement. Information regarding the required writing assignment is available from the instructor on a case-by-case basis.

Special accommodations

In certain cases students may receive special accommodations regarding exams or other activities.

  • Religious issues: religious holidays and constraints are valid excuses as far as scheduling activities is concerned and special accommodation may be made for these. However, religious issues are knowable beforehand, special accommodation for such issues will only be made if the instructor is notified in advance. Religious excuses after the fact are not acceptable.
  • Emergencies: by their nature emergencies are not knowable beforehand; however genuine emergencies are documentable in written form (e.g., police report, mechanic's bill, obituary notice, medical papers, legal records). Special accommodation for such issues will only be made if written documentation of the emergency is provided as soon as possible and the nature of the emergency applies to both days during which the exam can be taken.
  • Learning disabilities: if you have a documented learning disability, special accommodation may be made. It is the student's responsibility to provide written proof of the status and research the options available at CSULB regarding this issue. Additionally, the student must notify the instructor in advance if they plan to request special accommodations due to a learning disability. Information on the CSULB resources available for learning disabled students is available at the Bob Murphy Access Center on campus.

In all cases the burden of arranging for any special accommodations lies with the student and must be done in advance.

The statements below have been recommended or required by the university for inclusion in this syllabus

Classroom related issues

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Education works best when we all act with integrity and avoid any dishonest practices.

CSULB has a written policy on cheating and plagiarism. This information includes definitions of cheating and plagiarism, the rights and responsibilities of students and instructors in courses, and the procedures for conflicts arising from enforcement of these policies. If you're unsure about what may constitute cheating, especially in these days of online education, check out the policy here:
www.csulb.edu/academic-senate/policy-academic-integrity-regarding-cheating-and-plagiarism
.

ENROLLMENT and WITHDRAWAL

Due dates for drops and withdrawals are posted at:

It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of these dates.

Official enrollment:

  • No instructor or office staff can add or change a class for you. Only YOU, THE STUDENT, can add or change classes in YOUR schedule. You may either add classes on-line through your MyCSULB account or in person at Enrollment Services during the registration period.
  • Each student is responsible to check their MyCSULB account weekly to be certain that the Class Schedule listed accurately reflects the courses s/he is enrolled in for the current semester. Students should also check for any notices the University has sent to them.

INCLUSIVE DIALOGUE AND RESPECT

Universities are traditionally safe places for the pursuit of new knowledge (research) and the transfer of current knowledge (teaching). In order for that process to work, all respectful viewpoints and opinions are welcome. Debate and disagreement based on data or logic is encouraged, but speech that involves personal insults or statements that denigrate any group of people is not acceptable. Seriously, we are all here in Southern California and seeking to understand the natural world together - everyone has the same right to be here, be heard, and be respected.

This course involves the possibility of discussions about issues that some may find emotionally charged. For example, this course includes information about sexual selection, genetic disease, and human history. When discussing these issues, and others, we must always be respectful and considerate of one another.

ANTI-HATE SPEECH/PROMOTION OF TOLERANCE

As members of The Beach community, we practice tolerance and denounce hate and prejudice. Our classroom will strive to be a place of mutual respect where the focus is on learning and student success.

General campus and student life issues

CAMPUS RESOURCES

The campus has a variety of resources for students listed here:

AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT

The CSU has an Affirmative Consent policy, and is perhaps best understood by watching the following educational video: 

CAMPUS CONFIDENTIAL ADVOCATES, NOT ALONE @ THE BEACH

Title IX prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. If you have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the Campus Confidential Advocate is available to help.

Jaqueline Urtez and Rocio Telumbre (e: advocate@csulb.edu, p: (562) 985-2668) can provide free and confidential support, accommodations, and referrals for victims without having to report the assault to campus authorities. While students are welcome to discuss assaults with faculty or disclose such experiences in class discussions or assignments, both faculty and teaching assistants are responsible employees who are required to report all known incidents of sexual harassment/misconduct to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office for follow-up.

Reporting this information will result in the student being contacted by the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office with information on accommodations and reporting options for possible investigation. Students do not need to respond to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office, but students who do wish to report the assault for possible investigation are encouraged to contact the Campus Confidential Advocate, who can help them through the reporting process, or they can report the assault directly to the Office of Equity & Diversity/Title IX Office by completing an online reporting form at: or contacting the Office of Equity & Diversity at OED@csulb.edu.

For more information about confidential advocacy services and violence prevention education at CSULB, please contact our campus project Not Alone @ the Beach:

ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SEXUAL/GENDER-BASED MISCONDUCT

The CNSM is committed to providing a safe and positive learning environment and has established a zero-tolerance policy for any sexual/gender-based misconduct, including, but not limited to sexual harassment, assault, relationship violence or stalking for all faculty, staff, and students. The following resources are available for students:

BASIC NEEDS PROGRAM

If you are having trouble affording enough food to eat, do not have a safe and reliable place to sleep, and/or experiencing an emergency or crisis, then the Basic Needs Program is here to help. The Basic Needs Program provides emergency services and resources for students. To learn more about the program, visit:

To apply for emergency services such as meal assistance program, emergency grant, or emergency housing, complete the information at this link:

The Basic Needs Program recognizes that not having your basic needs met can affect your performance in the classroom, and they are here to support you and help ensure you get to your graduation day. They look forward to being of service to you.