• The course newsgroup is now available: uwash.class.genet453
• My office hours are 1:30-2:30 Thursdays in J253 Health Sciences (down the hall from the classroom).
• We are making progress in getting the Macintosh version of the genetic simulation program revised. If you have taken a copy of the Mac version, check for the revised version some time soon.

GENET 453 Genetics of the Evolutionary Process
Credits: 3
Quarters: W
Instructor: Felsenstein
Gen. Educ.: NW
Course Desc.: Contributions of genetics to the understanding of evolution. Processes of mutation, selection, and random genetic events as they affect the genetic architecture of natural populations and the process of speciation. Emphasis on experimental data and observation, rather than mathematical theory. Prerequisite: 371 or 372. Offered: W.

Genetics 453                                                     J. Felsenstein
Evolutionary Genetics                                            Winter, 1998

                                      Syllabus

Date       Topic                              Readings

1/5-1/7    History of genetics in evolution   Futuyma, Chap. 2
                                              Ridley: Chap. 1, 2.8
                                              F&H, 2.7
                                              Greene, passim

1/9-1/16   Elements of population genetics    H&C: 71-95,189-194,211-252,267-292
                                              Futuyma: 231-245,297-320, Chap. 13
                                              Ridley: Chaps. 5, 6
                                              F&H: Chaps. 4, 5
                                              Li & Graur: Chap. 2

1/19       (Martin Luther King Day holiday)

1/21-1/23  Elements                           (ditto)
           of population genetics
           (continued)

1/26-1/28  Quantitative genetics              H&C: 38-43,64-66,Chap. 9
                                              Futuyma: 37-43,245-253,Chap. 14
                                              Ridley: Chap. 9
                                              F&H: Chap. 6, especially 6.3 on

1/30-2/4   Kin and species selection,         H&C: 256-262
           punctuated equilibrium, etc.       Futuyma: Chap. 6, 594-601,687-702
                                              Ridley: 8.12, 8.13, Chaps. 12, 20
                                              F&H: 12.5, 16.1, 16.2

2/6-2/9    Molecular variation                H&C: 44-47,53-64,174-180
                                              Lewontin, Chaps. 3 and 5
                                              Futuyma: 242-244
                                              F&H: 327
                                              (also material on the Neutral Theory
                                              in all texts in next block of readings)

2/11       Midterm exam                       Some or all of the above

2/13       Molecular evolution                Li & Graur, chaps. 3-5
                                              H&C: Chap. 8
                                              Ridley: Chaps. 7, 10
                                              Futuyma: 87-100,118-125,269-271,
                                                320-335,Chap. 22, Chap. 17
                                              F&H: Chaps. 7, 10, (11), 534-538

2/16       (Presidents' Day holiday)

2/18-2/27  Molecular evolution (continued)    same as previous

3/2-3/6    Chromosome evolution               H&C: 105
                                              Futuyma: 286-294
                                              White: Chaps. 7,8,9,12,(11)
                                              Stebbins, Chaps. 1,4,5
                                              F&H: 4.2, 4.3
                                              Ridley: 2.4, 3.6, 16.10

3/9-3/13   Evolution of genetic systems       H&C: 180-186
                                              Futuyma: 283-285, Chap. 21
                                              F&H: 6.2, Box 16.2
                                              Ridley: 4.5, 8.11,11.3,11.5


The final exam will be on Wednesday, March 18, 2:30-4:30 pm in the lecture room.
The lectures on January 26-30 will be given by Drs. Mary Kuhner and Peter Beerli.

Abbreviations for authors of books (see the list of books on reserve at OUGL):

H&C: Hartl and Clark
F&H: Freeman and Herron


Class newsgroup: uwash.class.genet453

Class Web site
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~genetics/courses/genet453/1998/genet453.html

(if you forget this, you can find it through Courses in the Genetics Department site
which can be found from the main UW page.)

Genetics 453                                                    J. Felsenstein
Evolutionary Genetics                                           Winter, 1998

            Books on Reserve in Undergraduate Library Reserve

                                  All are 1-day reserve

  Call Number  Author/Title/Edition

  575         Greene, John C.
  G833d       The death of Adam

  QH325       Li, Wen-Hsiung and Dan Graur
  .L65        Fundamentals of
  1991        molecular evolution

  QH 365      Darwin, Charles
  O2 1967     The origin of species

  QH 366.2?   Freeman, Scott, and Jon C. Herron
  .F??        Evolutionary Analaysis
  1998

  QH366.2     Futuyma, Douglas
  .F87        Evolutionary Biology (3rd ed.)
  1998

  QH 366.2    Ridley, Mark
  .R524       Evolution (2nd ed.)
  1996

  QH366.2     Maynard Smith, John, and Eors Szathmary
  .M3918      The major transitions in evolution
  1995

  QH366.2     Maynard Smith, John
  .M392       The theory of evolution
  1993

  QH 371      Maynard Smith, John
  .M327       Evolutionary Genetics
  1989

  QH 431      Dobzhansky, Theodosius
  D577        Genetics of the evolutionary
              process

  QH455       Hartl, Daniel L. and Andrew Clark
  .H37        Principles of population
  1997        genetics, 3rd ed.

  QH 455      Lewontin, R.C.
  L48         The genetic basis of
              evolutionary change

  QH 581.2    White, M. J. D.
  W45         Animal cytology and evolution
  1977

  QK 981      Stebbins, George Ledyard
  S74         Chromosomal evolution in
              higher plants

(I know it makes everyone insecure, but at the graduate level it is standard not to have a textbook. If you go to grad school you'll have to get used to it.) Mostly it's because I can't come up with one that covers adequately the particular mix of topics I give. Make a suggestion on the course newsgroup and we'll discuss it. I have considered or even used Futuyma, Maynard Smith's "Evolutionary Genetics", and others but they don't work. I am trying to compensate by handing out copies of my overheads each time.

Biology 454 (Evolutionary Mechanisms)

The main evolution course at the University, taught yearly by Joel Kingsolver (Zoology Department) and Doug Schemske (Botany Department). Both are well-known researchers in evolutionary biology. Text in past has been Futuyma's "Evolutionary Biology" or Ridley's "Evolution". This year it is Freeman and Herron's "Evolutionary Analysis". What is the difference between Genetics 453 and Biology 454? Biology 454 is a fine course with a somewhat different emphasis. It is more oriented to covering issue such as evolutionary ecology, speciation, fossil record, and so on, while we spend more time than they do on genetic effects -- particularly molecular evolution, chromosome evolution, and population genetics. There is some substantial overlap. Winter quarter.

Zoology 414 (Molecular Evolution)

Molecular evolution course by Scott Edwards, who is an active researcher in that area. Texts are Li and Graur "Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution" and Avise "Molecular Markers". Winter quarter. Note -- This is an undergraduate course.

Genetics 562 (Population Genetics)

Now given every other year, this is the graduate theoretical evolutionary genetics course that I give. Lots of equations, though mostly at a low mathematical level. No pictures of cute furry animals. Next time it's given will be Spring, 1999. Text: my own notes, sold inexpensively by ASUW Publications in the HUB.

Genetics 570 (Phylogenetic Inference)

This is a graduate-level course on evolutionary trees. Methods for inferring phylogenies, and methods for doing things with them. Some background in statistics necessary. It will be given every other Spring (starting Spring, 1998).

Others

There are more courses and I'll gradually try to put descriptions of them here.

There are many:

Newsgroups

Some brief descriptions of some of the major ones covering evolution:

sci.bio.systematics

Discussion of systematics, including phylogeny and classification. Most postings are serious discussions by researchers. Some percentage of them are semantic issues or legalistic discussions of taxon names. Right now there is an endless thread about cladistic versus evolutionary-systematic approaches to classification.

bionet.molbio.evolution

Discussion among researchers about molecular evolution. Low volume, high quality. Co-moderated by Jerry Learn of our Micro Department.

sci.bio.paleontology

Tends to be filled with postings by fossil enthusiasts and tends to be dinosaur-centered. Some creation/evolution debating too.

bionet.population-biology

Supposed to be the forum for discussion by population biologists. But they don't post much there. Occasionally someone sees the "population" in the group title and starts a discussion of human overpopulation issues, which are best discussed elsewhere. This helps ensure that real population biologists will continue to avoid the group.

sci.bio.evolution

Moderated by Josh Hayes of our own Center for Quantitative Sciences, who should get some sort of award for putting up with a lot of nonsense. I think it was intended as a forum for discussion among researchers, but has tended to be filled with postings by others about whether humans are still evolving (answer: yes, but it's extremely slow compared to cultural change) and whether laughter is selectively advantageous. Not intended for evolution/creation debates: Josh screens these out.

talk.origins

The arena for endless debate between creationists and others, with frequent digressions into theology. Extremely high noise to signal ratio. When a decisive point is made, the opponent changes the subject or just refuses to respond.

World Wide Web Pages

The program is freely distributable. It is available from my workstation by anonymous ftp. There you will find:

• a 386 DOS executable version which can be run under Windows as well
• a pre-386 DOS version for those who have PC/XT or PC/AT-compatible machines
• a Macintosh version for non-PowerMac (680x0) processors
• a Macintosh version for PowerMacs
• Source code in C that can be compiled on a Unix workstation with X windows
• an executable for DEC Alpha (OSF1)
• an executable for Sun SPARCstations
• an executable for DECstations
• an executable for IBM RS6000 AIX systems