BIOL 322 Syllabus, Spring 2024

Instructor

Angie Roles

Science Center A134 cell: 443-695-1680

aroles@oberlin.edu

Drop-In Student Hours (in-person)

MWF 10-10:50am OR by appointment.

Student hours are times I am guaranteed available to meet in- person to chat and answer any questions you may have. If you would like to meet at a different time or via zoom, please email me so we can arrange a time.

Class Meetings

Regular Meetings: MWF 11:00am–11:50am; In-person sessions will meet in SCTR A155.

Lab: W 2:30–4:20pm; In-person sessions will be in the SCTR A262 computer lab, across from Love Lounge.

Course Description

The evolution of phenotypic traits results from the action of selective and non-selective forces on the distribution of genetic variation within and among populations. We will use mathematical and computational models to study adaptation and the genetic architecture of complex traits in the context of natural populations. These evolutionary approaches have critical applications in the study of disease, conservation biology, agriculture, and the re- sponse to climate change. Labs are computer-based and focused on modeling. Prerequisites: BIOL 200. Attributes: 4NS, QFR.

Course Goals

Students completing this course will:

• Gain knowledge of and appreciation for topics in evolutionary genetics.
• Learn to develop and evaluate computational evolutionary models.
• Practice reading and understanding scientific literature.
• Improve scientific writing and oral communication skills.
• Gain a deeper understanding of critical thinking as applied to evolutionary genetics.
• Practice carrying out open-ended, investigative research projects.

Statement on Accessibility and Inclusion

Central to this course is an understanding and appreciation of how diversity is generated and maintained in nature. In line with that value, I aim to make this course accessible and inclusive of all students. Each individual brings with them a unique set of experiences which inform their perspective when interacting with others and learning new information. All are welcome in this class and expected to put in the work to learn more than you knew coming in. You have the right to ask for assistance, access, or additional resources to meet your learning needs. If you find yourself unable to fully access the course in any way, you are welcome to contact me to discuss your needs. During the first week of classes, we will discuss community norms to guide us in our interactions.

In case of emergency... Should circumstances arise that prevent you from fulfilling your responsibilities, such as completing exams on time or making it to lab, you should contact me ASAP. If you anticipate issues or conflicts arising in advance, please contact me so that we may make arrangements.

Course Materials

Conservation and the Genetics of Populations, 2nd ed. (2013) by FW Allendorf, G Luikhart, and SN Aitken, published by Wiley-Blackwell, is required for this course. It is available in the bookstore or may be ordered online. The College library has access to an electronic version of the text, available here.

I will be providing PDFs of additional reading material, some from textbooks, some primary literature. Below I list several suggested texts that are good references when you need more information about a topic.

All course materials are available via a shared Google Drive folder. There is no Bb site for this course.

Suggested References:

• Conner, JK and DL Hartl. 2004. A primer of ecological genetics. Sinauer Associates, MA.
• Futuyma, DJ. 1998. Evolutionary biology. 3rd ed. Sinauer Associates, MA.
• Neal, D. 2004. Introduction to population biology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
• van Emden, H. 2008. Statistics for terrified biologists. Blackwell Publishing, MA.

Honor Code

You are expected to adhere to the Oberlin College Honor Code in this course.

1. Unless otherwise indicated, you may discuss assignments with your classmates but your written work must be your own, with proper citation and credit for sources used (when appropriate).
2. You should include the honor pledge and your signature on all submitted work. Digital signatures are acceptable.

I am required to report any suspected violations of the Honor Code to the Honor Committee. Independent of any deliberations of the Honor Committee, in this course suspected violations of the Honor Code may result in a non-passing final grade in the course. More information on the Oberlin Honor Code may be found here: http://new.oberlin.edu/ students/policies/honor-system-charter

Resources Offering Support

• I am available for individual consultation during student hours or by appointment.
• Student who have been approved by the Office for Disability and Access (Peters Hall 127) for accommodations should speak with me to be sure that your needs are being met in this course.
• Peer Tutors are available through the Academic Advising Resource Center (AARC), https://www.oberlin.edu/aarc/peer-tutoringor email peertutoring@oberlin.edu. This service is free and you are encouraged to arrange for a tutor as soon as you like.
• The Executive Functioning Program offers peer tutors, freely available through the Center for Student Success. If you struggle with planning and organization skills, you might contact this program! You can find out more at https://www.oberlin.edu/center-student-success/efg, where you can also sign up to meet with a an EF tutor.

Assessment

In this course, we use contract grading, a method of assessment in which you write a contract laying out the work you will complete (to a satisfactory level) in order to earn the grade you desire. I will provide a template contract, requesting you to complete portions of it and you will submit it for my agreement by the end of the first week of class (Fri Feb 3).

Your written contract will describe:

• how completed work lines up with expectations for each grade,
• due dates for work to be turned in,
• the consequences for you if you do not meet the expectations you set.

I choose to use contract grading to provide you agency over your grade and to enable you to focus on learning rather than grades. For details, see the template grade contract. We will also discuss this in class.

Assignment Descriptions

All assignments will be turned in electronically, via Google Forms.

Participation

You are expected to actively participate in this course. This includes doing the assigned readings in advance of class, attending class, asking and answering questions posed during class or discussions, and actively discussing assigned readings during class meetings.

Reading Questions

They are intended to guide your reading of the text. It’s recommended that you complete them on your own earlier in the week, before attending class. During class meetings, we will frequently discuss the assigned questions. It’s suggested that you turn these in weekly but you will choose the regular due date in your grade contract.

Short-answer Exams

All exam questions will be take-home, open-note, and open-book (but you may not consult sources that were not specifically used in the class and you may not work with others). Questions are grouped into 4 exams (A, B, C, D), each with suggested due dates. Actual due dates will be specific to your grade contract.

Lab Exercises

For the first half of the semester (7 lab meetings), you will work in assigned groups to create and then evaluate the assigned model each week. These assignments will also help you to practice the skills you are developing and to explore the use of models to address and study a question. Each individual should write up and turn in their own lab report, suggested to be due within one week of the lab exercise.

Modeling Project & Presentation

In a group of 2-3 students, you will develop a com- putational model to address an open problem/question in evolutionary genetics. This will require some initial literature review and your project topic must be approved by me. One objective of this assignment is to improve your comfort and facility with using modeling approaches to gain a general appreciation of the value of this approach. A second objective is practice of research skills and learning how to ask and address research questions to gain a deeper understanding of a subject. The results of your project will be presented to the class, informally, at the end of the semester (May 8, final meeting of the lab).

Expected Schedule