Ecology, Evolution, and Society Designed for non-science majors. Biology 301M. Ecology, Evolution, and Society Designed for non-science majors. Introduction to environmental adaptations, diversity of organisms, species interactions, organization and processes of communities, population growth and limitations, evolution and population genetics, origin of life, and human impact on the environment. Three lecture hours and one discussion hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward a degree in biology. Varanus eremius (Varanid) Lecture # 1 30 August 2018

Biology 301M – Ecology, Evolution, & Society Professor: Eric R Biology 301M – Ecology, Evolution, & Society Professor: Eric R. Pianka Office: Patterson 125, Mon., Fri. 1-2 PM (or by appointment) 471-7472, email: erp@austin.utexas.edu Lectures: Tuesday and Thursday, 11-1230 (Gearing 105) Course Websites: type “bio301-pianka” into browser type “bio301-pianka” into browser http://www.zo.utexas.edu/courses/bio301/ Download Syllabus from above site (Contract) Ctenophorus isolepis (Agamid)

Teaching Assistant:. Kyle Wilhite, Office: Patterson 103 Teaching Assistant: Kyle Wilhite, Office: Patterson 103 (or by appointment, use email) Email: kwilhite@utexas.edu Discussion Sections (20% of letter grade) (24 readings and Problem Sets) Wednesday 9-10 AM GDC 6.202 Wednesday 10-11 AM CLA 1.108 Wednesday 11-12 AM CMA 5.190 Wednesday 12-1 Noon GAR 1.126   Ctenophorus nuchalis (Agamid)

Notice the demanding course requirements placed on this class as part of UT's Core Curriculum, and accordingly, this course must meet standards and objectives of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for Natural Science and Technology: o Communication Skills: effective development, interpretation and 
expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. 
 o Critical Thinking Skills: creative thinking, innovation, 
inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. 
 o Teamwork: ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal. 
 o Empirical and Quantitative Skills: manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions. Ctenotus (Skink)

Goals and Philosophy: This course assumes knowledge of High School algebra, geometry, and genetics. You will be expected to be able to understand 3-dimensional graphs and be able to manipulate simple equations. We will attempt to teach you the basic ecology and evolution that everyone should know -- we will also do our utmost to encourage you to think. We hope to make students into better informed citizens of this, our one and only spaceship, planet Earth. Sceloporus (Phrynosomatid)

Please read each of the 24 links on the class website: ___________________________________________________ Scientific Methods Natural Selection On Human Nature Our Hunter-Gatherer Heritage Uncaring Humanoids Unburnable Oil Population Growth Problem Gamblers Agriculture Global Warming Vanishing Book of Life Plastics The Weakest Link Technology Economic Intelligent Design? Energy Money Land Food Water Sewage Solutions Space Travel __________________________________________________ Eight will be covered on each of the 3 hour exams and ALL 24 will be included on the Final exam. Nucras (Lacertid)

Pianka, Evolutionary Ecology, 6th ed Pianka, Evolutionary Ecology, 6th ed. Read Chapters 1-7 Watch Dance, Monkeys, Dance and Domino Effects (in Videos folder) We will follow this book, more or less in the order of its chapters [Powerpoint presentations can be downloaded from the course website] Available as an eBook 7th ed. from Google Also you can read it on line at course webpage or Canvas (Use Safari, other browsers may not show figures) UT provides students with 500 megs per week free, if you need more bandwidth, you can buy 10 gigabytes per week for only $3 per semester (Link).

shortsightedness of their ancestors . . . For this generation, who must confront the shortsightedness of their ancestors . . . Moloch horridus (Agamid)

First Exam: 27th Sept. Second Exam: 1st Nov. Third Exam: 6th Dec First Exam: 27th Sept Second Exam: 1st Nov Third Exam: 6th Dec Best 2 of above 3 = 40% Discussion Sections 20% Final Exam Dec 15th 7-10pm 40% No “Extra points Anolis carolinensis (Dactyloid)

First Exam: 27th Sept. Second Exam: 1st Nov. Third Exam: 6th Dec First Exam: 27th Sept Second Exam: 1st Nov Third Exam: 6th Dec Best 2 of above 3 = 40% Discussion Sections 20% Final Exam Dec 15th 7-10pm 40% No “Extra points No “Make Up” Exams! Anolis carolinensis (Dactyloid)

First Exam: 27th Sept. Second Exam: 1st Nov. Third Exam: 6th Dec First Exam: 27th Sept Second Exam: 1st Nov Third Exam: 6th Dec Best 2 of above 3 = 40% Discussion Sections 20% Final Exam Dec 15th 7-10pm 40% No “Extra points, No “Make Up” Exams! Final Grades are FINAL, non negotiable Anolis carolinensis (Dactyloid)

First Exam: 27th Sept. Second Exam: 1st Nov. Third Exam: 6th Dec First Exam: 27th Sept Second Exam: 1st Nov Third Exam: 6th Dec Best 2 of above 3 = 40% Discussion Sections 20% Final Exam Dec 15th 7-10pm 40% No “Extra points No “Make Up” Exams! Final Grades are FINAL, non negotiable Anolis carolinensis (Dactyloid)

Politicians and other advertisers equate ecology with “beer cans and pollution” and environment with “clean air and clean water,” in short the human environment. Anthropocentric. All other organisms have environments, too. Environment is defined as all the physical and biotic factors impinging upon a particular organismic unit, as well as everything affected by that organismic unit. Ctenotus pantherinus (Skink)

ecosystem, an entire community. An organismic unit could be an individual, a population, or even all of the organisms living together in a particular ecosystem, an entire community. These constitute different levels of organization in the biological hierarchy of life. Ecology is defined as the study of the interactions between organisms and their environments. Phelsuma (Gecko)

Ecology requires wild organisms in the natural environments within which they evolved and to which they have become adapted.

Ecology requires wild organisms in the natural environments within which they evolved and to which they have become adapted. Once, we were surrounded by wilderness and wild animals, now we surround them.

Ecology requires wild organisms in the natural environments within which they evolved and to which they have become adapted. What good are rattlesnakes?

Snakes in Cages

“Love” in Vials

Major Lizard Clades: Agamidae 440 species Gekkota 7 Families Iguania 12 Families 1086 species Lacertidae 330 species Scincidae 1600 species Varanidae 75 species Moloch Nucras Ctenophorus (Lacertid) Phelsuma Anolis Sceloporus Ctenotus Ctenotus Varanus

as an ecologist is concerned) Henry David Thoreau (1854) Captive organisms are out of context, they don’t have a natural environment (they might as well be dead as far as an ecologist is concerned) Henry David Thoreau (1854) Walden “Book of Life” metaphor Holmes Rolston (1985) “Vanishing Book of Life” Humans are just beginning to be able to read it, but its pages are tattered and torn, and entire chapters have been ripped out. Need to save as much as possible (conservation biology), but also must READ it (ecology) before it is gone. Other Earthlings were here before us and have a right to exist, too.

Hierarchical Organization of the Biological Sciences Molecular Biology

Hierarchical Organization of the Biological Sciences Biosphere Molecules Molecular Biology Neurobiology Behavior Evolutionary Ecology <—————— Integrative Biology——————————>

Hierarchical Organization of the Biological Sciences Biosphere Molecules Molecular Biology Neurobiology Behavior Evolutionary Ecology <—————— Integrative Biology——————————> Snobbery

Foot & Mouth Virus

Time and Space Scaling in Ecology Time and Space Scaling in Ecology Daily movements (home range, territory) Dispersal events (immigration, emigration) Colonization of new areas and habitats Geographic range expansion or contraction Geographical patterns of diversity Daniel R. Brooks

Models may be verbal, graphical, or mathematical Models may be verbal, graphical, or mathematical Model: mere “caricatures of nature” (all models are imperfect) Trade offs in construction of models precision generality realism