BIOL 506 Home Page Archive (2004/2005)

Biology 506/507 ARCHIVE
Systematics and Evolution Forum
(2004/2005)

A. Richard Palmer (coordinator, Winter Term)
Office: Biological Sciences Z1116, Phone 2-3633, rich.palmer@ualberta.ca
Heather Proctor (coordinator, Fall Term)
Office: Earth Sciences 1-44, Phone 2-5704, hproctor@ualberta.ca

Course Overview:

BIOL 506 provides a forum for graduate students who are registered in the course to give a formal lecture on any subject in Systematics & Evolution, and to receive constructive feedback on that lecture (see course guidelines).

It also provides a forum where other graduate students and staff may give an informal presentation of their research.

Each 45-50 minute lecture by registered students will be centered on a focal paper from the primary literature and will be followed by a discussion.

All interested persons are welcome to attend the presentations and discussions.

BIOL 507 allows registered students to receive credit for attending the presentations in BIOL 506.

COPIES OF FOCAL PAPERS:

Rich Palmer

Resources for students registered in BIOL 506:

Tips for preparing a good lecture

Presentations in past years

2003-2004

SCHEDULE - 2004/2005

NOTE: ALL LECTURES WILL BE AT 3 PM IN BioSciences B121 (except those marked **).

Speakers with an asterisk (*) next to their name are registered students who will give a lecture on the specified topic.

Date Presenter Lecture Topic Focal Paper

Sept. 13 Dr. Dave Walter
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Evolutionary history of taxonomic keys

Sept. 20 CANCELLED

Sept. 27 Dr. Steve Vamosi
Biology
University of Calgary Using experiments and comparative methods to explore diversification (none)

Oct. 4 Takuya Konishi*
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Ontogenetic considerations in systematics: Examples from two fossil taxa Erickson, G. M., P. J. Makovicky, P. J. Currie, M. A. Norell, S. A. Yerby, and C. A. Brochu. 2004. Gigantism and comparative life-history parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs. Nature 430:772-775
(download)

Oct. 11 No class (Thanksgiving break)

Oct. 18 No class

Oct. 25 Dr. Mike Caldwell
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta On the origins of snakes and other such things: Just what are we claiming to know? Vidal N. & S. B. Hedges. 2004. Molecular evidence for a terrestrial origin of snakes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B (Suppl)
(download paper, download appendix)

Nov. 1 Braden Barr*
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and its role in cladogenesis Adams, C.E., and F.A. Huntingford. 2004. Incipient speciation driven by phenotypic plasticity? Evidence from sympatric populations of Arctic charr. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 81:611-618
(download)

Nov. 8 Dr. Sally Leys
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Sponge development: Finding the hallmarks of the metazoan body plan (or Shattering some sponge myths) King, N. 2004. The unicellular ancestry of animal development. Developmental Cell 7:313-325
(download)

Nov. 15 Dr. David Coltman
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Molecular ecology meets quantitative genetics in bighorn sheep Coltman, D.W. et al. 2003. Undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting. Nature 426:655-658
(download)

Nov. 22 Glen Elliott
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Sponge sneezing: All you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask (none)

Nov. 29 TBA TBA TBA

Dec. 6 Lindsay MacKenzie*
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Ancient horses: What teeth have to say about past habitats MacFadden, B.J., Solounias, N. and T. E. Cerling. 1999. Ancient Diets, Ecology, and Extinction of 5-Million-Year-Old Horses from Florida. Science 283:824-827.
(download)

Date Presenter WINTER TERM
Lecture Topic Focal Paper

Jan. 10 Palmer/Proctor Organizational meeting for B506 students only

Jan. 17 No class

Jan. 24 Dr. Felix Sperling
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Biogeographic origin of some swallowtail butterflies endemic to Madagascar Zakharov et al. 2004. Iindependent gene phylogenies and morphology demonstrate Malagasy origin for a wide-ranging group of swallowtail butterflies. Evolution 58(12) in press.
(download)

Jan. 31 Selena Smith
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Fossils and DNA in a systematic study of the monocot order Alismatales

Feb. 7 Kirsty Worley
Dept. Animal and Plant Sciences
University of Sheffield Detecting natural selection from patterns of genetic variation in microsatellite loci: A case study in thinhorn sheep

Feb. 14 Dr. Heather Proctor
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta The search for determinants of feather-mite richness: An object lesson in the importance of the ICZN Poulin, R. 1997. Species richness of parasite assemblages: Evolution and patterns. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1997. 28:341-58
(download)

Feb. 21 no class Reading Week

Feb. 28 Sean Bromilow *
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta The Strepsiptera Problem: When phylogeny and philosophy collide Pohl et al. 2005. Protoxenidae fam. nov. (Insecta, Strepsiptera) from Baltic amber - a 'missing link' in strepsipteran phylogeny. Zoologica Scripta 34:57-69.
(download)

Mar. 7 Stefan Little
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Investigations of an Eocene Lauraceae: Fresh techniques using dead plants

Mar. 14 Lisa Lumley *
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Amplified fragment-length polymorphisms (AFLPs): The technique, comparison to other molecular methods, and applications in evolutionary biology Sullivan J. P. et al. 2004. AFLPs resolve phylogeny and reveal mitochondrial introgression within a species flock of African electric fish (Mormyroidea: Teleostei). Evolution 58:825-841.
(download)

Mar. 21 Dr. Mark Wilson
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta Evolutionary experiments in paired fins early in the history of vertebrates Bemis, W.E. and L. Grande. 1999. Development of the median fins of the North American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), and a reevaluation of the lateral fin-fold hypothesis. In. Mesozoic Fishes 2 -- Systematics and Fossil Record (G. Arratia and H.-P. Schultze, Eds), p. 41-68
(contact Rich Palmer for a pdf copy, if you wish one)

Mar. 28 no class Easter Monday

Apr. 4 Todd Cook *
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta The evolutionary history of vertebrate cranial and spinal nerves Fritzsch, B. and R. G. Northcutt. 1993. Cranial and spinal nerve organization in amphioxus and lampreys: Evidence for an ancestral craniate pattern. Acata Anatomica 148:96-109
(download) (beware- 7.5 MB!)

Apr. 11 Dr. Rich Palmer
Biological Sciences,
University of Alberta The curious coiled cases of caddisfly larvae

macspin.gif, 13K Top of page

(revised Dec. 26, 2011)

Date	Presenter	Lecture Topic	Focal Paper
Sept. 13	Dr. Dave Walter Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Evolutionary history of taxonomic keys
Sept. 20	CANCELLED
Sept. 27	Dr. Steve Vamosi Biology University of Calgary	Using experiments and comparative methods to explore diversification	(none)
Oct. 4	Takuya Konishi* Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Ontogenetic considerations in systematics: Examples from two fossil taxa	Erickson, G. M., P. J. Makovicky, P. J. Currie, M. A. Norell, S. A. Yerby, and C. A. Brochu. 2004. Gigantism and comparative life-history parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs. Nature 430:772-775 (download)
Oct. 11	No class	(Thanksgiving break)
Oct. 18	No class
Oct. 25	Dr. Mike Caldwell Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	On the origins of snakes and other such things: Just what are we claiming to know?	Vidal N. & S. B. Hedges. 2004. Molecular evidence for a terrestrial origin of snakes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B (Suppl) (download paper, download appendix)
Nov. 1	Braden Barr* Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and its role in cladogenesis	Adams, C.E., and F.A. Huntingford. 2004. Incipient speciation driven by phenotypic plasticity? Evidence from sympatric populations of Arctic charr. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 81:611-618 (download)
Nov. 8	Dr. Sally Leys Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Sponge development: Finding the hallmarks of the metazoan body plan (or Shattering some sponge myths)	King, N. 2004. The unicellular ancestry of animal development. Developmental Cell 7:313-325 (download)
Nov. 15	Dr. David Coltman Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Molecular ecology meets quantitative genetics in bighorn sheep	Coltman, D.W. et al. 2003. Undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting. Nature 426:655-658 (download)
Nov. 22	Glen Elliott Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Sponge sneezing: All you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask	(none)
Nov. 29	TBA	TBA	TBA
Dec. 6	Lindsay MacKenzie* Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Ancient horses: What teeth have to say about past habitats	MacFadden, B.J., Solounias, N. and T. E. Cerling. 1999. Ancient Diets, Ecology, and Extinction of 5-Million-Year-Old Horses from Florida. Science 283:824-827. (download)
Date	Presenter	WINTER TERM Lecture Topic	Focal Paper
Jan. 10	Palmer/Proctor	Organizational meeting for B506 students only
Jan. 17	No class
Jan. 24	Dr. Felix Sperling Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Biogeographic origin of some swallowtail butterflies endemic to Madagascar	Zakharov et al. 2004. Iindependent gene phylogenies and morphology demonstrate Malagasy origin for a wide-ranging group of swallowtail butterflies. Evolution 58(12) in press. (download)
Jan. 31	Selena Smith Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Fossils and DNA in a systematic study of the monocot order Alismatales
Feb. 7	Kirsty Worley Dept. Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield	Detecting natural selection from patterns of genetic variation in microsatellite loci: A case study in thinhorn sheep
Feb. 14	Dr. Heather Proctor Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	The search for determinants of feather-mite richness: An object lesson in the importance of the ICZN	Poulin, R. 1997. Species richness of parasite assemblages: Evolution and patterns. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1997. 28:341-58 (download)
Feb. 21	no class	Reading Week
Feb. 28	Sean Bromilow * Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	The Strepsiptera Problem: When phylogeny and philosophy collide	Pohl et al. 2005. Protoxenidae fam. nov. (Insecta, Strepsiptera) from Baltic amber - a 'missing link' in strepsipteran phylogeny. Zoologica Scripta 34:57-69. (download)
Mar. 7	Stefan Little Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Investigations of an Eocene Lauraceae: Fresh techniques using dead plants
Mar. 14	Lisa Lumley * Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Amplified fragment-length polymorphisms (AFLPs): The technique, comparison to other molecular methods, and applications in evolutionary biology	Sullivan J. P. et al. 2004. AFLPs resolve phylogeny and reveal mitochondrial introgression within a species flock of African electric fish (Mormyroidea: Teleostei). Evolution 58:825-841. (download)
Mar. 21	Dr. Mark Wilson Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	Evolutionary experiments in paired fins early in the history of vertebrates	Bemis, W.E. and L. Grande. 1999. Development of the median fins of the North American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), and a reevaluation of the lateral fin-fold hypothesis. In. Mesozoic Fishes 2 -- Systematics and Fossil Record (G. Arratia and H.-P. Schultze, Eds), p. 41-68 (contact Rich Palmer for a pdf copy, if you wish one)
Mar. 28	no class	Easter Monday
Apr. 4	Todd Cook * Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	The evolutionary history of vertebrate cranial and spinal nerves	Fritzsch, B. and R. G. Northcutt. 1993. Cranial and spinal nerve organization in amphioxus and lampreys: Evidence for an ancestral craniate pattern. Acata Anatomica 148:96-109 (download) (beware- 7.5 MB!)
Apr. 11	Dr. Rich Palmer Biological Sciences, University of Alberta	The curious coiled cases of caddisfly larvae