| | TIME | Normally taught during an 8-week summer session. Registered students are encouraged to start early. One of the assignments MUST be completed during the first week of class. All of the course requirements must be submitted to the instructor by the last day of the session. |
| | INSTRUCTOR | Dr. Joseph R. Coelho, Associate Professor of Biology. Office hours: by appointment, NCA 207. Asking questions by email is strongly encouraged: |
| | TEXT | Volpe, E. P. & P. A. Rosenbaum. 2000. Understanding Evolution, Sixth Edition. McGraw-Hill, Dubuque, IA. 288 pp. |
| | Course Guide | Coelho, Joseph R. Organic Evolution: A Course Guide for Biology 340. Accessible by World Wide Web only. See the schedule of assignments below. Log in to Moodle here. |
| | DESCRIPTION | Principles of the neodarwinian evolutionary process, the central theory of biology. Prerequisite: Bio 150 or 212 or instructor consent. The course is taught exclusively via the World Wide Web. Access to the Web and E-mail are required. 3 credit hours. |
| | OBJECTIVES | To understand basic genetics, the role of development in the evolutionary process, microevolution, mutation, natural selection, speciation, kin selection, macroevolution and human evolution. |
| | ACADEMIC HONESTY | Any form of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will result in official action and penalties in accordance with university policy as described in the current course catalog. |
| | REQUIREMENTS | 6 homework assignments, 2 exams. The homework (question sets) are to be sent to the instructor for grading. These need not be elaborate nor long; two or three pages should be sufficient. They should be E-mailed. |
| | Midterm Examination | The midterm is timed. The midterm consists of 80 multiple-choice questions covering Chapters 1 through 11. After you send the third homework assignment, you may take the midterm examination. |
| | Final Examination | The final examination will be timed. The final is much like the midterm in that it consists of 80 multiple choice questions. It is not comprehensive; it covers chapter 12 through the epilogue. |
| | Term Paper (optional) | Choose a topic within evolutionary biology. Remember that this is a really huge field, so your topic should be quite narrow and specific. After approval, do an intensive literature search for appropriate articles on the topic. A minimum of five different references (that you actually use and cite) is required. Please -- no more than 10 pages. Cite all references used and follow the format found at the ends of the chapters in Volpe & Rosenbaum. |