Lecture 1: Introduction to Population Genetics August 20, 2012
Instructors Steve DiFazio 5200 Life Sciences Building Office Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs 1 to 2 pm Hari Chhetri (TA) 5206 Life Sciences Building Office Hours: Tue, Wed, Fri 11:30 to 12:30 Please use office hours, or make appointment!
Course Structure Two 50-minute lectures per week Do readings before class Bring a calculator to class Be ready to participate! Handouts of lecture slides will usually be distributed at beginning of class Slides posted to website after class (don t print old slides) One 2-hour lab session, 6:30-8:20 each week
Grading Exam 1, Sept 26, 120 points Exam 2, Oct 31, 120 points Weekly Lab Reports, 12 X 10 pts = 120 points Final Exam, Monday, Dec 11, 11 am, 3131 LSB, 140 points Extra credit opportunities Scale for final grades: (no curve)
Class Website http://www.as.wvu.edu/~sdifazio/popgen/ or Google difazio popgen Home page has information from syllabus: Course structure Grading Rules and policies
Schedule Page Updated continuously during course Lecture slides available following lecture Reading assignments Exam schedule Lab schedule
Required Text Hedrick, P.W. 2011. Genetics of Populations. Jones and Bartlett Available from WVU book store Also partially on Google Books (searchable)
Supplemental Reading Three books on reserve in WVU downtown library: Mountain Lynx Hamilton, M. 2009. Population Genetics. Gillespie, J.H. 2004. Population Genetics: A Concise Guide. Falconer, D.S., and T.F.C. Mackay. 1996. Introduction to Quantitative Genetics.
Supplemental Reading
Other Resources
Laboratory TA: Hari Chhetri Tightly linked to lectures Intended as Active Learning modules Enhance understanding of concepts and principles Provide hands-on introduction to Population Genetics software Every Wednesday evening, 6:30 to 8:20 pm 3306 Life Sciences Building (Biology computer lab) Bring a calculator and your lab manual
Required Lab Manual Slavov, G, E. Rodgers- Melnick, and S.P. DiFazio. 2012. BIOL 464/GEN 535 Population Genetics Laboratory Manual. WVU Press. 107 Pages. Available only from WVU book store (~$20) Please purchase by this Wednesday, August 22
Extra Credit Opportunity Find a new error in the Lab Manual or Text Typo/grammatical error: 1 point Calculation, derivation or mathematical error: 5 points First come, first served
Laboratory Web Page Schedule of lab topics Links to required software and data Due dates for lab reports
Lab Reports Lab reports due at beginning of lab period 12 total, worth 10 points each Deduct 0.5 points for each day late Last report is optional: up to 10 pts extra credit Guidelines for lab report are in lab manual Email and/or paper versions are fine Most weeks require a write-up with interpretations for each calculation or simulation Please be careful to fully answer questions, including explanations of results from biological standpoint
Working Together and Academic Honesty Group work in laboratory is optional but encouraged It is fine to discuss lab problems and work on them together HOWEVER, your lab report must be your original work See academic honesty policy on class website Exams are based primarily on the lab exercises and examples worked in class
Highlights from the Schedule Introduction to Probability Genetic variation in populations: Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium Selection Inbreeding Genetic drift Gene Flow and population structure Phylogenetics Genetic identity and forensic identification Coalescence and neutral theory Linkage disequilibrium Quantitative genetics Tying genotypes to phenotypes
What is Evolution?
Evolutionary Synthesis Fisher, Wright, and Haldane were fathers of population genetics and modern evolutionary theory R.A. Fisher Sewall Wright http://www.ars.usda.gov Working in early 1920 s, worked out how to apply Mendel s laws in a population context to provide mechanistic explanation for evolutionary change http://www.york.ac.uk J.B.S. Haldane http://www.ucc.ie/
Population Genetics Study of heritable variation in assemblages of organisms, and how this is affected by mutation, drift, selection, and gene flow Mutation + - Drift +/- Diversity + Selection Migration
Population Genetics is Important Disease susceptibility, genetic testing, and personalized medicine Statistical interpretation of forensic DNA evidence Human evolution and cultural history Crop and animal improvement Traditional breeding Genetic engineering Conservation plans for plant and animal communities Responses of plant and animal communities to climate change