BIO 202: Ecology, Evolution and Genetics

Fall 2015
Instructor : Dr. Norbert Cordeiro (Lecture & Lab)
Email : Primary Professor: ncordeiro@roosevelt.edu

Office : WB914N
Office Phone : 312-341-6593
Office hours : Mon, Wed & Thurs: 10:00 am to 11:00 am

Lectures : Mon/Wed: 12:30 -1:45 WB1017

Discussion : Mon: 1:50 to 2:40 pm WB1017
Laboratory : Section 01C: Wed: 9:25am- to 12:25pm WB810
Section 01B: Wed: 2:00pm to 5:00pm WB810
Section 01D: Fri: 10:00am to 1:00pm WB 811

TAs : Section C: Kristy Stenson (kstenson@mail.roosevelt.edu)

Section B: Rebecca Wilson (rwilson23@mail.roosevelt.edu)
Section D: Kerrigan Tobin (ktobin@mail.roosevelt.edu)

Peer Tutors : Dana Alexander (dalexander03@mail.roosevelt.edu)

Kerrigan Tobin (ktobin01@mail.roosevelt.edu)
Crystal Nguyen (cnguyen04@mail.roosevelt.edu)

Prerequisites: MATH 121 & CHEM 201 with minimum grade of C-

Required Books: Biology, 9th or 10th edition by Jane B. Reece et al. (2011/2013). Pearson
Education, Inc. as Benjamin Cummings. Please try to make use of the features on the textbook
website (http://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/masteringbiology/)
Questions, exercises and informative online resources are provided for each chapter. Note: you
must register to use these resources.
The Laboratory manuals will be provided. Labs will be on blackboard approximately one week in
advance and should be printed before class. There will also be a pre-lab assignment before the
beginning of every lab class pertinent to the laboratory which will be performed that day. Pre-lab
assignments will ensure that everyone is prepared for each laboratory.

University objectives:
Goal: Effective communication
Goal: Knowledge of disciplined-focused content
Goal: Awareness of social justice and engagement in civic life

Course Objectives:
1. To comprehend the interaction between organisms and the environment – to understand the
concept of behavioral ecology, population ecology and community ecology.
2. To emphasize the connection between ecology and evolution. To understand how life evolves
and how biologists study evolution and test evolutionary hypotheses.
3. To introduce an overview of major concepts of genetics. To provide students with the ability to
solve problems and make them think analytically. Genetics, lends itself to problem solving and
analytical thinking.

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Grading Scale

A +/– grading scheme will be in use, according to Roosevelt University policy. The final grade
will be based on the percentage of total available points earned. Letter grades will not be given
until all assessments are completed. Deviations from the grading scheme (ie. a √curve) will be
applied at the instructor’s discretion, and only to the students’ benefit. The above point
distribution is subject to change. Students will be promptly notified of such changes. Please note
that even though you have registered for lab and lecture separately, the grades are always
combined.

Course Grades
Exam I 150 points
Exam II 150 points
Exam III 150 points
Final 150 points
Pre-Labs 150 points (10 pts each)
Lab reports 420 points (14 labs, 30 pts each)
Genetics homework 150 points
Miscellaneous assignments 130 points
Assessment & Participation 150 points
Total 1600 points

Grade Quality Points Minimum %

A 4 93.00%
A- 3.67 90.00%
B+ 3.33 87.00%
B 3 83.00%
B- 2.67 80.00%
C+ 2.33 77.00%
C 2 73.00%
C- 1.67 70.00%
D+ 1.33 67.00%
D 1 63.00%
D- 0.67 60.00%
F 0 < 60%

Regulations covering grades are in the Undergraduate Catalog (the catalog is online at
http://www.roosevelt.edu/catalog/). Incompletes will not be given, except to a student who has
done passing work through most of the term but is unable to complete the final project.
Important Date: The last day to drop a class with a grade of W is October 27 2015 (verify the
correct date online in case this is incorrect). In other words follow RU academic guidelines
(http://www.roosevelt.edu/Registrar/ImportantDates.aspx )

Late Withdrawal Policy– Approval to be given primarily for non-academic reasons. It requires
completion of form, including statement and rationale for request, explanation of why it was not
requested by the deadline, documentation to support the claim, and finally, signatures from the

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instructor, chair, and dean. Such signatures do not guarantee approval of the petition (it will then
be reviewed by committee).

Expectations and Requirements:

Attendance Policy
Cases of personal or family illness, funerals, religious commitments, unexpected happenings
(accidents, flat tire etc) are considered excusable reasons for absence. Please notify the instructor
as soon as possible if lecture, lab or an exam must be missed. These cases should be backed by
proper documentation (doctor’s note, death notice, receipt for tire repair etc).
Lectures/Labs
Attendance to all lectures and labs will greatly enhance your learning performance (and grade).
Borderline grades will be decided based on attendance, individual effort and class participation
(i.e. borderline grade is a difference of 0.5-1% from a +/- letter grade). Please attend the labs
without fail. It is difficult if not impossible to understand the concept and solve problems without
actually performing the experiments in the lab. If you miss a class, it is YOUR responsibility to
find out what you missed from the instructor, TA or other students.
Exams
There will be four exams (3 exams and a final) of approximately two hours duration. A missed
exam will be counted as zero unless there is pre-notification to and acceptance by the instructor
(with supporting documentation). While the exams are not intended to be comprehensive,
genetics is a unified discipline and some material from the latter part of the course will
necessarily include concepts from the first part of the course and this may be reflected in the
exams.

Link for final exams schedule:

http://www.roosevelt.edu/Registrar/ImportantDates/Exams.aspx

Advice
One simple word of advice is DO NOT fall behind. Read the text and solve suggested problems.
Please do not hesitate to consult INSTRUCTOR if after working through the material you still
have trouble understanding any topic.

Academic Integrity
This course follows the Roosevelt University Standards of Conduct, as published in the Student
Handbook. Any plagiarism, cheating or other academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade.
Plagiarism includes submitting another student’s work as your own and presenting information
from others work as your own. For more information, consult the document Academic Integrity –
A Guide for Students (http://www.roosevelt.edu/Provost/Faculty/AcademicIntegrity.aspx)

General Class Policy

Cell phones or pagers MUST be off or on vibrate mode; texting or using any electronic device is
not permitted; iPods or any musical or electronic device need to be turned off during class; no
surfing the internet, watching videos or playing games on laptop; respect for others at all times;
no food or drink in lab; email communication MUST be polite and respectful; adhere to all
regulations as per Student Handbook. Read on………
Student Code of Conduct
Students enrolled in the University are expected to conduct themselves in a manner compatible
with the University’s function as an educational institution. You will be asked to leave the

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classroom/lab, and points will be deducted, for disruptive or disrespectful behavior. For more
information you can go to: http://www.roosevelt.edu/StudentSuccess/Conduct.aspx

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are
encouraged to contact Roosevelt's Office of Disability Services (DS), a part of the Academic
Success Center (ASC), at http://www.roosevelt.edu/StudentSuccess/Disability.aspx as early as
possible in the term.

All lecture and lab materials will be found in the lecture/discussion section
ONLY, in clearly defined folders. http://roosevelt.blackboard.com
Class Date Topics Chapter
1 Aug. 24th Syllabus/Introduction to Animal Behavior 51
2 Aug. 26th Animal Behavior 51
3 Aug. 31st Animal Behavior & Intro to Ecology 51, 52
4 Sept. 2nd Population Ecology I 52
5 Sept. 7tth HOLIDAY-NO CLASS
6 Sept. 9th Population Ecology II 53
7 Sept. 14th Community Ecology I 54
8 Sept. 16th Community Ecology II 54
9 Sept. 21st Ecosystems 55
10 Sept. 23rd Aquatic & Terrestrial Biomes 53
11 Sept. 28th Conservation Biology 56
12 Sept. 30th Mendelian Genetics/Review for Exam I 12
13 Oct. 5th EXAM 1
14 Oct. 7th Meiosis & Sexual Life Cycle 13
15 Oct. 12th Mendelian Genetics 14
16 Oct. 14th Extending Mendelian Genetics 14
17 Oct. 19th Mitosis- Cell Cycle 14 & 12
18 Oct. 21st Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance 15
19 Oct. 26th Sex Determination and Sex Linkage 15
20 Oct. 28th Genetics Review Session
21 Nov. 2nd EXAM 2
22 Nov. 4th Evolution: A Darwinian view of life 22
23 Nov. 9th Evolution: A Darwinian view of life 22
24 Nov. 11th Evolution of Populations I 23
25 Nov. 16th Evolution of Populations II 23
26 Nov. 18th Origin of Species 24
27 Nov. 23rd EXAM 3
28 Nov. 25th HOLIDAY-NO CLASS
29 Nov .30th Phylogeny and Systematics 16
30 Dec. 2nd Review session (for final)
31 Dec. 7th NO CLASS
32 Dec. 9th FINAL EXAM (1230-230 pm)

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Lab Schedule and details

Pre-Labs are due in the digital dropbox by 8:00am on the day of your lab, unless informed otherwise by email and/or blackboard
announcement. If you have issues with uploading before 8:00am, send an email with it attached to the TA, Kristy Stenson
(kstenson@mail.roosevelt.edu). If it arrives after 8:00am on the day of your lab, it will not be graded for credit, though you may participate in
lab for no credit. This means the failure to submit a pre-lab on time will result in zero credit for the pre-lab & lab report for that week (loss of
40pts.).

Lab schedule—please note that both Wednesday & Friday labs are shown below. Pre-lab and lab write-ups/report due dates are
shown too. You must bring a printed copy of the lab report to the beginning of your lab and you MUST have deposited an electronic copy into
the relevant Dropbox assignment (if you do not electronically deposit a copy of the lab you will lose 50% of the points for your graded report).
If you have issues uploading your lab report to Dropbox, you must email a copy to Kristy before lab starts. Failure to do so will result in a 50%
grade loss for the lab report. Failure to turn in the lab report the day it is due will result in a 0%.

Week Date Lab Exercises Prelabs due Lab write-ups/reports due

1 W Aug. 26 Lab 1: Animal Behavior Lab /set up Lemna Lab 2b Prelab 1 due
F Aug. 28 Lab 1: Animal Behavior Lab /set up Lemna Lab 2b Prelab 1 due

2 W Sep. 2 Lab 2b Population Ecology/Lemna Lab-population

growth begin PL2a L1
F Sep. 4 Lab 2b Population Ecology/Lemna Lab-population
growth begin PL2a L1

3 W Sep. 9 Lab 2a: Lab 2b: Part II continued PL2b L2a

F Sep. 11 Lab 2a: Lab 2b: Part II continued PL2b L2a

4 W Sep. 16 Lab 3: Concept of Food Chain Lab (Owl Pellet Lab) PL3
F Sep. 18 Lab 3: Concept of Food Chain Lab (Owl Pellet Lab) PL3

5 W Sep. 23 Lab 4: Genetics Studies using Drosophila PL4 L3 ***L2b

F Sep. 25 Lab 4: Genetics Studies using Drosophila PL4 L3 ***L2b

6 W Sep. 30 Lab 5: Mendel’s law of Segregation PL5 L4

F Oct 2 Lab 5: Mendel’s law of Segregation PL5 L4

7 W Oct. 7 Lab 6: Chi-square goodness of-fit-test PL6

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 F Oct. 9 Lab 6: Chi-square goodness of-fit-test PL6

Week Date Lab Exercises Prelabs due Lab write-ups/reports due

8 W Oct. 14 Lab 7: Mendel’s law of independent Assortment PL7 L5, L6
F Oct. 16 Lab 7: Mendel’s law of independent Assortment PL7 L5, L6

9 W Oct. 21 Lab 8: Linkage and Genetic Mapping PL8 L7

F Oct 23 Lab 8: Linkage and Genetic Mapping PL8 L7

10 W Oct. 28 Lab 9: Population Genetics & Evolution PL9 L8

F Oct. 30 Lab 9: Population Genetics & Evolution PL9 L8

11 W Nov. 4 Lab 10: Biochemical Evidence of Evolution PL10 L9

F Nov 6 Lab 10: Biochemical Evidence of Evolution PL10 L9

12 W Nov. 11 Lab 11: Natural Selection Experiment Lab PL11 L10

F Nov 13 Lab 11: Natural Selection Experiment Lab PL11 L10

13 W Nov. 18 Lab 12: Phylogeny lab PL12 L11

F Nov 20 Lab 12: Phylogeny lab PL12 L11

14 Nov. 25th/27th NO CLASS-Thanksgiving Break None

15 W Dec. 2 Lab 13: TBA PL13 L12 (L13 turned in same day)
F Dec 4 Lab 13: TBA PL13 L12 (L13 turned in same day)

16 Dec 9th/11th NO CLASS-FINALS WEEK L12

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SYLLABUS AND GRADING SCHEME IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT YOU WILL BE MADE AWARE IN
WRITING IF AND WHEN THIS DOES OCCUR.