Evolution
Theory: 3 hours/week | ECTS Units: 5
Learning Outcomes
The primary aim of the course is to present concepts of evolutionary biology of organisms, which concern the mechanisms of natural selection, speciation, gene flow, as well as other mechanisms that are responsible for the formation and maintenance of biodiversity. Among all the species described, special reference is made to the human species and to the evolutionary events that led to the appearance and dispersal of Homo sapiens outside Africa.
The knowledge acquired by students includes:
- Natural selection: its definition and its action at different biological levels
- Gene flow and models
- Population genetics and the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium
- Mutations and genetic drift: genetic diversity in natural populations
- The concept of local adaptation and its connection with genetic diversity
- Mechanisms of speciation
- The importance of phylogeny and methodological approaches
- Genome duplications and the evolutionary fate of duplicated genes
- The concept of coevolution and its connection with speciation
Analytical Description of the Course
i. THE ORIGIN AND IMPACT OF EVOLUTIONARY THOUGHT:
Principles of evolutionary thought. The origin of species. Various views regarding the theory of Evolution. The theory of Evolution after Darwin. The modern synthesis. The study of Evolution. Evolution as theory and as fact.
ii. THE ECOLOGICAL VIEW OF EVOLUTION:
Adaptations and environment. Niche. Spatial distribution. Population growth. Effect of density on population growth. The biotic environment: predators and prey. Interactions between species. Diversity and stability of biological communities. Environmental patterns.
iii. HEREDITY: FIDELITY AND MUTABILITY:
Mutations: the source of genetic diversity. Effect of mutations on the phenotype. The randomness of mutations. Recombination and increase of diversity. External sources of diversity.
iv. DIVERSITY:
The Hardy–Weinberg theorem. Diversity in quantitative traits. Diversity in natural populations. Protein diversity. The organisation of genetic diversity. Genetic diversity among populations. Geographic diversity. Species. Intraspecific diversity and higher taxonomic ranks.
v. POPULATION STRUCTURE AND GENETIC DRIFT:
The theory of inbreeding. The genetic structure of inbreeding populations. Population size, inbreeding and genetic drift. Effective population size. Mutations in finite-sized populations. Gene flow. Effective size and gene flow in natural populations. Genetic drift in natural populations. Evolution through random genetic drift. Non-random matings due to phenotypic preferences.
vi. THE EFFECT OF NATURAL SELECTION ON THE GENETIC COMPOSITION OF POPULATIONS:
The probability of survival and reproduction is not the same for all. Selection at the level of the individual. How the environment affects fitness. Levels of selection. Types of natural selection. Directional selection with constant fitness. Interpretation of genetic diversity. Selective disadvantage of the heterozygote. The adaptive landscape. Interactions of evolutionary forces. Population fitness and genetic load. Natural selection or neutrality. The intensity of natural selection.
vii. SELECTION ON POLYGENIC TRAITS:
Directional selection at two genetic loci. Multiple equilibrium states. Polygenic inheritance. Heritability and response to selection. Genetic correlations. Response to artificial selection. Genetic and developmental homeostasis.
viii. SPECIATION:
The concept of the biological species. Genetics of differences between species. Types of speciation. Allopatric–parapatric–sympatric speciation. Genetic theories for speciation. The founder principle. Selection for reproductive isolation. Time required for speciation. The importance of species and speciation.
ix. ADAPTATION:
Problems in recognising adaptation. The adaptationist programme. Levels of selection. Group selection. Theoretical models for the study of adaptation. Evolution of life-cycle traits. Sexual selection. Evolution of genetic recombination and sex.
x. THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF EVOLUTION:
Definitions. Classification. Competing schools of Systematics. Difficulties of phylogenetic inference. Phylogenetic conclusions from morphological data. Phylogenetic conclusions from macromolecules.
xi. FOSSILS:
Dating the past. The history of life. The origin of life. Precambrian life. The Paleozoic era. The Mesozoic era. The Cenozoic era.
xii. THE HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY:
Changes in diversity. Is diversity regulated? Patterns of appearance. Patterns of extinction. Distribution of the extinction rate. Mass extinctions. Trends in Evolution.
xiii. BIOGEOGRAPHY:
The importance of phylogenetic analysis. Geographic patterns. Causes of geographic distributions. Evidence used in historical Biogeography: Paleontology. Evidence used in historical Biogeography: Taxonomy. The history and composition of local biotas. Are biological communities in equilibrium? Local fluctuations in species diversity. The origin of dominant groups.
xiv. THE ORIGIN OF EVOLUTIONARY INNOVATIONS:
Rates of evolution. Punctuated equilibrium. Regularities in phenotypic evolution. Allometry and heterochrony. The origin of higher taxonomic categories. The adaptive significance of evolutionary innovations. Genetics, development and evolution. The genetic and developmental basis of morphological evolution. Mimetic changes in Drosophila. Conservation and change in developmental programmes. Evolutionary constraints and phenotypic gaps. Developmental integration and macroevolution. Neo-Darwinism and its critics.
xv. EVOLUTION AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL:
Use of molecular information in evolutionary studies. Techniques. Diversity in unique DNA sequences. Rate of sequence evolution. Evolutionary changes in gene position and number. Unequal crossing-over and evolution of duplicated genes. Mobile transposable elements. Effects of transposable elements. Evolution of genome size. Evolution of multigene families. Adaptive evolution from a molecular viewpoint. Evolution of genes and proteins. Horizontal gene transfer. Molecular Biology and Evolutionary Biology.
xvi. THE EVOLUTION OF INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS:
Coevolution. Evolution of the use of vital resources. Coevolution of competing species. Evolution of predator–prey relationships. Mutualism. Genetic study of coevolution. The role of evolution in the structure of biological communities.
xvii. HUMAN EVOLUTION AND THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION:
The phylogenetic position of the human species. The fossil history in hominoids. Cultural evolution. The physical and mental evolution of humans. Genetic diversity in human populations. Evolution and human behaviour. Behavioural differences among individuals. Differences in intelligence level. Evolution and society.
Also included:
The systematic classification of species
Molecular markers and their usefulness in the evolutionary perspective
Student Performance Evaluation
Performance in the course is assessed by a written examination on the theoretical part of the course during the examination period.
The written examination includes:
Judgment/essay questions (50–60 points)
Targeted questions requiring short and precise answers (20–30 points)
Multiple-choice questions (20–30 points)
Suggested Bibliography
- Evolutionary Biology, Futuyma, D. J., University of Crete Press, 2000.
- Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics, Nei, M., Kumar S., Oxford University Press, 2000.
- Molecular Evolution: A Phylogenetic Approach, Page, R.D.M., Holmes E.C., Blackwell Science Inc., 1998.
- Introduction to Evolution, Stamatios Alahiotis, A.A. Livanis Publications, 2007.
- Evolution, Barton N. H., Briggs D. E.G. Eisen J. A. Goldstein D. B. Patel N. H., University of California, Berkeley, 2008.
Teaching Material / E-class
Lecturer
Zissis Mamuris(Course Coordinator)
Themistoklis Giannoulis
Associate Professor, Department of Animal Science, University of Thessaly