Evolution (BIOL2201)

Course overview

"Evolution" provides an overview of the most significant evolutionary transitions in relation to the environmental changes associated with them, details the processes that contributed to these changes & thus develops an understanding of the principles of evolutionary biology. Human evolution is explored in relation to this background & in relation to the evolution of language & disease.

Nothing in biology makes sense without evolution. This course covers the fundamentals of evolutionary biology, both in terms of recognising and interpreting evolutionary patterns and understanding the processes that are thought to drive evolutionary change. We examine evolutionary theory and explore evolutionary processes, on both micro and macro scales, using a range of organisms from bacteria through to metazoans (plants and animals).

The courseﾠwill cover:

• Foundations of evolutionary biology
• Natural selection and adaptation
• The evolution of life histories
• Sex and sexual selection
• The evolution of sociality
• Coevolution
• Speciation and phylogeny
• The origins of life
• Evolution and development
• Evolution and the fossil record
• Human evolution

Course requirements

Assumed background

A basic background in biological science is assumed BIOL1020 (prerequisite), BIOL1030 (recommended) and BIOL1040 (recommended)

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

BIOL1020

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

BIOL1030 + BIOL1040

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

This course considers the cascade of evolutionary transitions and associated environmental changes and challenges that have faced life on earth since cells first evolved and consequently gave rise to complex, multi-cellular organisms. The various evolutionary processes that contribute to change are considered in relation to organisms ranging from bacteria through to various plants and vertebrates. More specifically, human evolution is explored with reference to this background and in relation to the evolution of language, disease and modern medicine. An appreciation of evolution should help you to see every biological discipline in a new light.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Selection experiment

• Hurdle

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

15%

Due date

29/08/2024 4:00 pm

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L04, L06, L07

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Assignment to be submitted through Turnitin only.

Access the Assessment folder on the course Blackboard site
Upload an electronic version through the Turnitin site for the assignment
Assignments can be uploaded multiple times before the due date/time. The last upload before the due time will be the final version.
You will be sent a receipt, retain the receipt as proof of submission.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Mid-semester exam

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

16/09/2024

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L04, L06, L07

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Book Club

• Hurdle
• Team or group-based

Mode

Oral, Written

Category

Essay/ Critique, Presentation

Weight

20%

Due date

30/09/2024 -

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Assignment to be submitted through Turnitin only.

Access the Assessment folder on the course Blackboard site
Upload an electronic version through the Turnitin site for the assignment
Assignments can be uploaded multiple times before the due date/time. The last upload before the due time will be the final version.
You will be sent a receipt, retain the receipt as proof of submission.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

End of semester exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

35%

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Students are required to get a grade of at least 50% overall to pass the course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Supplementary assessment is available

Courses graded 1-7 

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

 Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

 To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

COURSE HURDLES

Students are required to get a grade of at least 50% overall to pass the course

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.

Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.

APPLYING FOR A DEFERRAL OF AN EXAM

If you are unable to sit an exam you need to apply online through my-SiNet. Please read the information on the MyUQ websiteﾠon the requirements for a deferral and how to apply.

SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENTS

All appropriate assignments must be submitted through Turnitin. The course coordinator may also request a hard copy submission of the assignment.

If a hard copy assignment is required then the submission process is as follows:

Hard copy:

1. You will be sent the cover sheet for your assignment by e-mail approximately 1 week before it is due.
2. You must submit your assignment, with the SIGNED coversheet attached to the front, through the assignment slot at the Help Desk (Room 229, Goddard Building) by 4.00pm on the above date/dates.
3. You will be emailed a receipt. Please retain this receipt as proof of submission. If assessment submission is disputed, you MUST produce this receipt.
4. Please ensure that you keep an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.

Turnitin submission

1. Access the Assessment folder on the course Blackboard site
2. Upload an electronic version through the Turnitin site for the assignment
3. Assignments can be uploaded multiple times before the due date/time. The last upload before the due time will be the final version.
4. You will be sent a receipt, retain the receipt as proof of submission.
5. If you don't receive a receipt, your assessment wasn't submitted.

Failure to submit both a electronic and hard copy (if required) on time will result in the late penalty (10% of maximum marks per day) being applied - you need to ensure that both the HARD copy and ELECTRONIC versions are submitted by the due date.

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

Students may be required to work in groups and submit an assessment item as a group.

In some cases, students are expected to work in a group to gather data or generate ideas, but are expected to submit individual assessment items based on the group work. This means that you can use the group-generated ideas or data but you cannot collaborate to produce the individual written submissions. If the divisions are unclear, ask for clarification.

ALL group members MUST attach a signed coversheet to the group assignment and submit it by the due date. Late submission of a coversheet will result in a late submission penalty being applied.ﾠ If a coversheet is not attached the student will be recorded as not having submitted the item.

ﾠ

PLAGIARISM will not be tolerated: You should be aware that the University employs purpose built software to detect plagiarism. It is very important that you understand clearly the practical meaning of plagiarism.

DEFINITION OF PALGIARISM: Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one's own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.

EXAMPLES OF PLAGIARISM:

1. Direct copying of paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence;

2. Direct copying of paragraphs, sentences, a single sentence or significant parts of a sentence with an end reference but without quotation marks around the copied text;

3. Copying ideas, concepts, research results, computer codes, statistical tables, designs, images, sounds or text or any combination of these;

4. Paraphrasing, summarising or simply rearranging another person's words, ideas, etc without changing the basic structure and/or meaning of the text;

5. Offering an idea or interpretation that is not one's own without identifying whose idea or interpretation it is;

6. A 'cut and paste' of statements from multiple sources;

7. Presenting as independent, work done in collaboration with others;

8. Copying or adapting another student's original work into a submitted assessment item.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USE (AI)

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills, and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Laboratory Occupational Health and Safety