Dr. Steven M. Carr
Department of Biology
Memorial University of Newfoundland
(University Diary)
45 Arctic Ave
St. John's NL A1C 5S7,
e-mail: scarr@mun.ca
Biol4250 Course Outline updated 28 August 2024
Optional Text: G-P Sætre & M Ravinet (2019) Evolutionary Genetics: Concepts, Analysis, and Practice [ S&R 2019 ]
MATLAB software
MEGA X (Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis) software
Other web pages of interest:
Genetic Research in Carr lab
Biol2250 - Principles of Genetics for Bio4250
Biol2900 - Principles of Systematics & Evolution
Biol3950 - Fundamentals of Biotechnology
Biol4241 - Advanced Genetics
Biol4270 - History of Biology
Click here to e-mail me questions, comments, or suggestions.
Please include '4250' in the subject line
Labs: Th 1400 - 1700 CSF Biology Office
Office Hours: Tu Th 1030 - 1130 CSF-4342
On the importance of office hours (NPR, Oct 2019)
Course lecture notes:
| Week |
Lectures |
S & R (2019) |
Topic |
Last Revised |
Lab Date |
Lab Materials |
| 1 |
09 Sept 2025 |
Introduction; Lab: background quiz |
30
Aug 2024 |
11
Sept 2025 |
Lab
Exercise: DNA structure (02
Sept 2024); Lab Exercise: DNA De-Coding (Aug 2025) Install MATLAB; Install MEGA |
|
| 1
& 2 |
11,16 Sept 2025 |
Allele & Genotype frequencies; Hardy-Weinberg Theorem | 30 Aug 2024 | 18 Sept 2025 | Statistical Hypothesis
Testing; Chi-square
test; Biol4250 Chi-Square & G test Workbook (2024 Sept 18); Lab Exercises: Testing Hardy-Weinberg expectations (2024 Sept 12) |
|
| 3 |
18 Sept 2025 |
Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection |
30 Aug 2024 | 25 Sept 2025 | Workbook for Natural
selection exercises (revised 2024 Sept 25); Lab Exercise: Natural Selection in ecological genetics (2024 Sept 25) |
|
| 4 |
23, 25 Sept 2025 |
4.2; 5.2 |
The General Theory of
Natural Selection |
08 Aug 2024 | 02 Oct 2025 | Workbook
for Natural Selection in
variable environments
(revised
2024 Oct 09); Lab Exercise: Natural Selection in variable environments (2024 Oct 03) |
| Monday,
30 Sept |
National
Day of Truth & Reconciliation |
30 Sept 2025 | ||||
| 5 | 02 Oct 2025 |
Alternative Models of Natural Selection | 04 Oct 2024 | 09 Oct 2025 | Natural Selection
under other conditions (revised 2024 Oct 10); Lab Exercise: Additive, Genic, & Haploid Selection (2024 Oct 10) Estimation of Selection Coefficients (2024 Sept 18); |
|
| 6 |
07,09 Oct 2025 | Fitness, Adaptation, & Selection in Natural Populations | ||||
| 13-14 Oct |
Thanksgiving; Fall
Break |
|
No Lecture, Oct 14 |
|||
| 16 Oct 2025 |
Midterm Exam sample questions |
Thurs, 16 Oct 2025 |
Midterm in
Lecture slot [Thursday is Tuesday] |
|||
| 7 |
21, 23 Oct 2025 |
1.3; 2 | Fitness, Adaptation, &
Selection in Natural Populations (Cont'd) |
08 Aug 2024 | 23 Oct 2025 | Lab
exercise: Migration
/ Selection in Water Snakes Worksheet for m |
| 8 |
29, 30 Oct 2025 |
1.2; 2 |
Natural Selection in equilibrium with Mutation; Migration; Inbreeding |
08 Aug 2024 | 30 Nov 2025 | Lab
Exercise: Worksheet |
| 9 |
04, 06 Nov 2025 |
2.2; 3.4; 4.4 |
Mendel's Century (1901 - 2025) | 08 Aug 2024 | 06 Nov 2024 | Data sets for allozyme, DNA,
Micro-satellite analysis (TBA) |
| 10 | 11 Nov | Remembrance Day | 11 Nov 2025 |
No
Lecture, Nov 11 |
||
| 11 |
12,
13, Nov 2025 |
2; 3.3,4,5 |
Genetic
Drift; Selection & Genetic Drift in Finite Populations; |
11 Sept 2024 | 13 Nov 2024 | WriFish.m script ; MATLAB app (2020 Oct
29); Lab Exercise: Natural Selection & Genetic Drift (2024 Nov 14) |
| 12 | 18, 20 Nov 2025 |
3.2,3 | Molecular Phylogeography: Genetic variation in time & space |
08 Aug 2024 | 20 Nov 2024 | Lab Exercise: F-statistics
& Population Structure (2024 Nov 18); F-Statistics worksheet for F-statistics (2024 Nov 20) |
| 13 |
25, 27 Nov 2025 |
8 |
Molecular Systematics: Phylogenetic reconstruction [Review] | 08 Aug 2024 | 27
Dec 2025 |
Lab Exercise: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (2024 Nov 25) |
| 14 |
02,04 Dec 2025 |
8 |
Molecular Systematics: Reconstruction of Phylogeny | 08 Aug 2024 | 04
Dec 2025 |
|
| Final |
FINAL EXAM:
Monday, 09 Dec, 0900-1100 Sample questions |
Monday,
09 Dec 0900 - 1100 |
Anticipated Date
& Time |
|||
| N&S (2013) |
Additional
Material from Nielsen & Slatkin (2013) |
|||||
| 3, 4 |
Coalescent Theory; Selective Neutrality | |||||
| 5 |
Population History & Demography |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - sources for images
This page was first published on
Copyright statement:
The lectures, displays, and all material delivered or
provided in Biol4250 - Evolutionary Genetics © Steven M
Carr, including any visual or audio recording thereof,
are subject to copyright owned by Steven M Carr.
It is prohibited to record, copy, or share by any
means, in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or
in part, in the absence of express written permission from
Steven M Carr, any of the lectures, displays, or materials
provided or published in any form during or from this
course.
& to Dave Wake (1936 - 2021), Evolutionary Biologist & Teacher extraordinaire