BIOL 215Z
Winter 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
ENVS 210Z |
Human activities have dramatically altered natural environments, and have even created entirely novel ecosystems such as farms and cities. How do these changes affect the evolution of animal and plant populations? In contrast to the traditional view that evolution takes place over millions of years, 21st-century scientists have been astonished to observe that rapid, human-caused environmental changes can lead to evolution in just a few short generations. Can the process of adaptive evolution keep up with the rapid pace of human-caused environmental change and allow species to cope with new conditions? What factors can promote "evolutionary rescue," and what may constrain it in different types of organism? |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
NSM BIOL |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: MB&B182 OR BIOL182 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Biology)(Environmental Studies Minor)(Environmental Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
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Textbook chapters (Futuyma, Evolution; Stearns and Hoekstra, Evolution: An Introduction; Freemon and Herron, Evolutionary Analysis) and journal articles from the recent Evolution and Ecology scientific literature
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Examinations and Assignments:
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The course is a lecture/discussion format that engages substantively with current scientific research. There will be an exam on the foundational evolution material (covering the first 4 of the 10 class days). Over the remaining 6 sessions (addressing recent research on specific scenarios), each student will (a) present 2 short in-class slide talks on assigned articles, and (b) bring to each session 2-3 written comments or questions on the reading (no more than 1 paragraph each). Alongside these required contributions, participation in class discussions is included in the course grade. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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Interested students who have not had either AP Biology or BIOL 182 should contact the professor directly (sesultan@wes) ; additional background reading may be arranged instead |
| Instructor(s): Sultan,Sonia Times: .MTWRF. 10:00AM-12:00PM; .MTWRF. 02:00PM-04:00PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 18 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 3 | | |
| Seats Available: 8 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 3 | JR non-major: 3 | SO: 3 | FR: 3 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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