Ecological Genetics IB 405 Instructors Dr. Kim Hughes

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Ecological Genetics

• IB 405

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Instructors

• Dr. Kim Hughes (Animal Biology)
• (Almost) Dr. Beth Ruedi, Program in Ecology and
  Evolutionary Biology

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Books

• 1. A Primer of Ecological Genetics, by J. Conner
  and D. Hartl
• 2. Evolutionary Analysis, by S. Freeman, and J.
  Herron (cheaper to purchase used copies online
  (Alibris, Bookfinder, Amazon, etc.)

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Pre-requisites

• IB 201 or equivalent (Genetics and Evolution)
  http//www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/201/index.html
• MCB 150 or equivalent (Molecular Genetics)
• Statistics
• Calculus
• Population Genetics
• Review Material provided in first set of lecture
  notes and on the IB 201 web site.

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Course Policies

• NO MAKEUP EXAMS
• HW assignments posted on the course web site.
• Final 800-1100 am Friday, Dec. 13, in this
  room and a second room TBA.
• Reading assignments, recommended problems,
  lecture notes and ppt files on the course web
  site.

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Grading

• Four HW assignments 240 pts
• Two exams (One Midterm and a 500 pts
• Comprehensive Final Exam)
• Reading and Discussion of 160 pts
• Primary Literature
• (Peer Reviewed and Graded)
• Advanced Topics
• Graduate Students Presentation 100 pts
• based on current primary literature
• Undergraduates Assignments based
• on current primary literature
• Total 1000 pts

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Extra Credit

• No extra credit, but your participation in
  Discussion is worth 150 pts.
• If you do the assigned readings and participate
  enthusiastically in discussions, you can get
  nearly all of these points.

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Course Outline

• Behavior Sexual Selection
• Behavior Genetics
• Life History Evolution
• Sex and Recombination
• Conservation Genetics
• Advanced Topics

• Introduction
• Genetic Variation
• Evolutionary Processes
• Natural Selection on Genotypes
• Complex Phenotypes Natural Selection on
  Phenotypes
• Molecular Evolution

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Course Web Site

• http//www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/405/index.html

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• Lecture and ppt downloads
• Rec Problems
• Book

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Do

• Bring a calculator and scrap paper to class
• Download lecture notes before class
• Do recommended problems you will see them again!
• Read the assigned material before class
• Participate in class discussion

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Dont

• Furiously take notes during class
• Put off the homework until the last minute
• Put off doing recommended problems until just
  before the exam

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What is Ecological Genetics?

• Definition 1
• Genetics of ecologically important traits
  Ecologically important traits are those that
  determine an organisms adaptation to its
  environment (traits that affect survival and
  reproduction)
• Examples?

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What is an adaptation?

• A phenotypic trait that has evolved to help an
  organism deal with its environment

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Examples
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Example growth
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Behavior
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Physiology
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What is Ecological Genetics?

• Definition 2
• Study of the processes of evolution occurring in
  present-day natural populations
• What are the processes that cause evolution?

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First, what is evolution?

• Evolution change in allele (or genotype)
  frequencies over time
• Contrast with change over time.
• Phenotypic evolution change in the mean or
  variance of a trait (phenotype) that is due to
  changes in allele frequencies

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Processes causing evolution?

• Natural selection
• Genetic drift
• Mutation
• Gene flow
• Non-random mating (e.g., inbreeding)

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Selection ---gt
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Review of some basic genetic concepts
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Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
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Genes DNA--gtRNA
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Transcription and RNA Processing
Promoter
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Coding DNA

• Exons code for proteins, tRNA, rRNA

Noncoding DNA
Introns, psuedogenes, repetitive DNA
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Protein-Coding genes mRNA-gtProtein
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Genetic Code

• Based on mRNA sequence, not DNA sequence
• 21 amino acids
• 64 possible codons
• Code is degenerate
• Often 3rd base position does not matter

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Compare and contrast these terms

• Transcription
• Translation
• mRNA
• tRNA
• rRNA

• Intron
• Exon
• Single-copy DNA
• Repetitive DNA
• Pseudogene

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Mutation categories that are important for
function
Transitions Transversions
Synonymous Non-synonymous Other
mutations (silent) (replacement) TGT
--gt TGC TGT --gt TGG insertion,
deletion Cys --gt Cys Cys --gt Trp
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Self-Quiz
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Compare and contrast these terms

• Haploid
• Diploid
• Genotype
• Phenotype

• Pleiotropy
• Epistasis
• Linkage
• Recombination
• Independent assortment

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Compare and contrast these terms

• Allele frequency
• Genotype frequency
• Heterozygosity
• Polymorphism
• Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
• Hardy-Weinberg proportions

• Genetic Drift
• Gene Flow
• Mutation
• Recombination