Evolutionary Biology

  1. Macroevolution
    1. Phylogenetics and Systematics
      1. Principles of Phylogenetic Reconstruction
        1. Homology vs. Homoplasy
          1. Character States
            1. Outgroups
            2. Reading Phylogenetic Trees
              1. Nodes
                1. Branches
                  1. Clades
                    1. Sister Taxa
                      1. Rooting Trees
                      2. Building Phylogenetic Trees
                        1. Morphological Data
                          1. Character Coding
                            1. Character Weighting
                            2. Molecular Data
                              1. DNA Sequences
                                1. Protein Sequences
                                  1. Gene Order
                                  2. Analytical Methods
                                    1. Principle of Parsimony
                                      1. Maximum Likelihood Methods
                                        1. Bayesian Methods
                                          1. Distance Methods
                                        2. Evaluating Phylogenetic Hypotheses
                                          1. Bootstrap Analysis
                                            1. Posterior Probabilities
                                              1. Consistency Indices
                                              2. Classification and Taxonomy
                                                1. Monophyletic Groups
                                                  1. Paraphyletic Groups
                                                    1. Polyphyletic Groups
                                                      1. Hierarchical Classification
                                                        1. Binomial Nomenclature
                                                          1. Phylogenetic Nomenclature
                                                        2. The History of Life on Earth
                                                          1. Geologic Time Scale
                                                            1. Eons, Eras, Periods, Epochs
                                                              1. Major Boundaries
                                                              2. Origin of Life
                                                                1. Prebiotic Chemistry
                                                                  1. Miller-Urey Experiments
                                                                    1. Hydrothermal Vent Hypothesis
                                                                    2. Protocells
                                                                      1. Lipid Vesicles
                                                                        1. Self-Replication
                                                                        2. The RNA World Hypothesis
                                                                          1. Ribozymes
                                                                            1. RNA Replication
                                                                            2. Transition to DNA-Protein World
                                                                            3. Early Life
                                                                              1. Prokaryotic Dominance
                                                                                1. Stromatolites
                                                                                  1. Great Oxidation Event
                                                                                  2. Origin of Eukaryotic Cells
                                                                                    1. Endosymbiotic Theory
                                                                                      1. Mitochondrial Origin
                                                                                        1. Chloroplast Origin
                                                                                        2. Nuclear Evolution
                                                                                          1. Cytoskeletal Development
                                                                                          2. Multicellularity
                                                                                            1. Independent Origins
                                                                                              1. Cell Adhesion
                                                                                                1. Cell Differentiation
                                                                                                2. The Cambrian Explosion
                                                                                                  1. Fossil Evidence
                                                                                                    1. Causes and Consequences
                                                                                                      1. Body Plan Innovation
                                                                                                      2. Major Evolutionary Transitions
                                                                                                        1. Colonization of Land
                                                                                                          1. Plant Adaptations
                                                                                                            1. Animal Adaptations
                                                                                                            2. Evolution of Flight
                                                                                                              1. Insects
                                                                                                                1. Birds
                                                                                                                  1. Bats
                                                                                                                  2. Evolution of Mammals
                                                                                                                    1. Mammalian Characteristics
                                                                                                                      1. Diversification
                                                                                                                  3. Patterns of Diversification and Extinction
                                                                                                                    1. Adaptive Radiation
                                                                                                                      1. Ecological Opportunity
                                                                                                                        1. Key Innovations
                                                                                                                          1. Examples
                                                                                                                            1. Cichlid Fish
                                                                                                                              1. Angiosperm Radiation
                                                                                                                            2. Convergent Evolution
                                                                                                                              1. Independent Origins of Similar Traits
                                                                                                                                1. Examples
                                                                                                                                  1. Camera Eyes
                                                                                                                                    1. Echolocation
                                                                                                                                      1. C4 Photosynthesis
                                                                                                                                    2. Divergent Evolution
                                                                                                                                      1. Adaptive Divergence
                                                                                                                                        1. Character Displacement
                                                                                                                                        2. Coevolution
                                                                                                                                          1. Predator-Prey Arms Races
                                                                                                                                            1. Host-Parasite Interactions
                                                                                                                                              1. Mutualism
                                                                                                                                                1. Plant-Pollinator Coevolution
                                                                                                                                                  1. Ant-Plant Mutualisms
                                                                                                                                                2. Extinction
                                                                                                                                                  1. Background Extinction
                                                                                                                                                    1. Normal Extinction Rates
                                                                                                                                                    2. Mass Extinctions
                                                                                                                                                      1. The "Big Five" Mass Extinctions
                                                                                                                                                        1. Causes of Mass Extinctions
                                                                                                                                                        2. The Anthropocene
                                                                                                                                                          1. Human-Caused Extinctions
                                                                                                                                                            1. The Sixth Extinction
                                                                                                                                                            2. Extinction Selectivity
                                                                                                                                                              1. Recovery Patterns

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                                                                                                                                                          4. Speciation and the Origin of Species

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                                                                                                                                                          6. Adaptation and Behavior