GENE 205 ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY (2190205)

Biological Sciences, METU; 2019-20 Fall Semester

Class Hours:
Tuesday 10:40-12:30 BIO Z-04
Thursday 8:40-10:30 BIO Z-04

Instructors:
Meryem Beklioğlu (Office No: 137, Office Hours: Tuesday: 13:30-14:30 Thursday:
11:00-12:30)
Mehmet Somel (Office No: 119; Office Hours: Monday 9.30-10.30, Friday 9.30-10.30)
Can Bilgin (Office Hours: almost anytime but by prior appointment only)

Course Objectives:
Provide an overview of the processes and patterns of evolution, how evolution proceeds
by interactions of populations with their environment, and an introduction to ecological
models.

Course Learning Outcomes:

- Describe main models of evolutionary change, including selection and drift
- Define and interpret phylogenies
- Define how reproductive isolation arises and new species arise
- Describe evolution at the genetic and genomic levels
- Describe history of Life forms on Earth
- Describe requirements of individuals and populations of species
- Describe how species interact (competion, mutualism, predation etc.)
- Describe how communities stay together and biodiversity
- Describe ecosystem procesess (nutrient cycling, decomposition)
- Describe global ecology and global level processes

Textbooks:
For evolution-related content: Life - The Science of Biology 10th edition, by Sadava et
al., Sinauer
Additional Resources: Bergstrom & Dugatkin, Evolution 1st ed, Norton
For ecology-related content: Ecology: Concepts and Applications 5th to 7th Edition, by
Manuel Molles, MacGraw Hill

Student preparation:
Reading the chapter before class & active participation in class discussions expected.
Weekly quizes and homework may be assigned. This class will require you to spend at
least 2-3 hours of studying every week, in addition to attending lectures.

Grading:
1 middterm : 50%
1 Final : 50%
Academic Honesty: The METU Honour Code is as follows: "Every member of METU
community adopts the following honour code as one of the core principles of academic
life and strives to develop an academic environment where continuous adherence to this
code is promoted. The members of the METU community are reliable, responsible and
honourable people who embrace only the success and recognition they deserve, and act
with integrity in their use, evaluation and presentation of facts, data and documents."

Using other students' assignment results and/or using external resources (e.g. articles or
internet pages) without explicit reference and/or using external resources verbatim is
unethical and will not be tolerated.
 2020-2021 Fall
Week 1 13-Oct Intro to ecology (Nature of ecology - Molles
ch 1)
Can Bilgin
    Population Distribution and Abundance Can Bilgin
  15-Oct Population Dynamics Can Bilgin
Week 2 20-Oct Mechanisms of Evolution (ch 21) Mehmet Somel

  22-Oct Mechanisms of Evolution (ch 21) Mehmet Somel

Week 3 27-Oct Population Growth Can Bilgin
  29-Oct Official holiday No classes
Week 4 3-Nov Competition Meryem Beklioğlu
  5-Nov Predation Meryem Beklioğlu
    Mutualism Meryem Beklioğlu
Week 5 10-Nov Species Interactions Meryem Beklioğlu
  12-Nov Primary production Meryem Beklioğlu
Week 6 17-Nov Nutrient cycling Meryem Beklioğlu
  19-Nov Species Diversity Can Bilgin
Week 7 24-Nov Succession Can Bilgin
  26-Nov Geographic Ecology Can Bilgin
Week 8 1-Dec Global Ecology Meryem Beklioğlu
  3-Dec MIDTERM1  
Week 9 8-Dec Mechanisms of Evolution (ch 21) Mehmet Somel
  10-Dec Phylogenies (ch 22) Mehmet Somel
Week 10 15-Dec Phylogenies (ch 22) Mehmet Somel

  17-Dec Speciation (ch 23) Mehmet Somel

Week 11 22-Dec Speciation (ch 23) Mehmet Somel
  24-Dec Evolution of genes and genomes (ch 24) Mehmet Somel
Week 12 29-Dec Evolution of genes and genomes (ch 24) Mehmet Somel

  31-Dec Evolution of genes and genomes (ch 24) Mehmet Somel

Week 13 5-Jan The history of life on Earth (ch 25) Mehmet Somel

  7-Jan The history of life on Earth (ch 25) Mehmet Somel

Week 14 12-Jan Genes, development & evolution (ch 20) Mehmet Somel

  14-Jan Genes, development & evolution (ch 20) Mehmet Somel