Information on Biol. 391 Exam #1 Spring 1999

Here is some information on what you can expect on the first evolution exam:

Format: Approximately 60% short answer/multiple choice, 40% essay/problem solving

Bring a calculator; there will be math problems (population genetics and chi-square)

Here are some things that I guarantee WILL be on the exam:

A question in which you have to apply Darwin's four postulates to explain how natural selection works in a particular situation (like the questions in the lab manual, Chapter II Question 2a-e, that you did for homework.)
One of the five long essay questions at the very end of the computer assignment (the last page of Chapter VI of the lab manual)
A question in which you will have a choice of describing one of the experiments on gene flow and/or genetic drift in the text book about which you were asked in the following lab manual questions from Chapter VIII: Question 4, Question 12, or Question 13. In this question, you will be asked to present a hypothesis about genetic drift or gene flow that was tested in the study, a prediction of that hypothesis that was tested in the study, and an explanation of the results with regard to this hypothesis and prediction.

Other material you should know from the textbook and Gould paper:

From the textbook, Chapter 1, on HIV evolution, know the material required to answer the following questions from the lab manual: Chapter I, Questions 1,2,3,4,7. (Note: all of these were assigned as homework to someone; it may help to find the other students who responded to these questions to discuss this material.)
From the Gould paper, know the material that would allow you to answer any of the questions in Chapter IV of the lab manual (remember that the computer discussions of this material are stored on the web, under where you click to get to each lab section, and are available for you to read any time.)

Other than the material noted above, exam material will come from the lectures; you should be able to apply the web lecture material as you do to answer lab manual questions, so answering lab manual questions is a good way to study the material. Be sure you can define or recognize definitions of the terms listed at the start of each lab manual chapter, and apply the lecture material to answer questions like those in the lab manual.

Return to the lecture schedule

Questions? e-mail me at rirwin@utm.edu