Reading Lists

Table of Contents: Add active learning to large classes Using the Web to teach science TA resources Teaching links Biology links Writing links Tips for designing a WIM course Course syllabi Writing assignment ideas Peer review Responses to student writing Tips on leading stimulating discussions Alternatives to large group discussions Reading lists Study questions Exam questions General Ecology- UNH

Selecting readings for undergraduate courses is tricky because it is hard to find readings that are accessible to introductory level students, but not so challenging that students get frustrated. Instructors have found that the following readings have been appropriate for use in undergraduate classes in ecology, evolution, and animal behavior. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Adaptation Artificial selection Biodiversity Coevolution Conservation Development and evolution Ecosystem biology Evolution and Agriculture Evolution and Conservation Biology Evolution, fact and theory Evolution- historical development Extinction Fossils Gene flow Global warming Hominid and human evolution Human impact Mate choice Microevolution Natural selection Neutral theory Origin of novelty Pest control Phylogeny Population growth Punctuated equilibrium Sexual selection Speciation Species concept Systematics COURSE READING LISTS Ecology 1999 Ecology 1997 Adaptation Bock, W. J. 1980. The definition and recognition of biological adaptation. American Zoologist 20:217-227. Brandon, R. 1984. Adaptation and evolutionary theory. Pg. 58-82 in Conceptual Issues in Evolutionary Biology (E. Sober, ed). Bradford Book, MIT Press. T. J. Case. 1997. Natural Selection out on a limb. Nature 387:15-16. Gould, S. J. and R. C. Lewontin. 1979. The spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian paradigm: a critique of the adaptationist programme. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 205:581-598. Gould, S. J. and E. S. Vrba. 1982. Exaptation - a missing term in the science of form. Paleobiology 8:4-15. J.B. Losos, D.J. Irschick, and T.W. Schoener. 1994. Adaptation and constraint in the evolution of specialization of Bahamian Anolis lizards. Evolution 48 (6):1786-1798. J.B. Losos, K.I. Warheit, and T.W. Schoener. 1997. Adaptive differentiation following experimental island colonization in Anolis lizards. Nature 387:70-72. Travisano, M. J. A., Mongoid, A. F. Bennett and R. E. Lenski. 1995. Experimental tests of the roles of adaptation, chance, and history in evolution. Science 267:87-90.   Seeley, T.D. 1997. Honeybee colonies are group-level adaptive units. American Naturalist. 150:S22-S41. Moran, N. A. 1986. Morphological adaptation to host plants in Uroleucon (Homoptera: Aphididae). Evolution 40:1044-1050. Morgan, E. 1991. "Why a new theory is needed." In The Aquatic ape-Fact or Fiction. Souvenir Press. pp. 9-22. Mayr, E. 1988. "How to carry out the adaptationist program?" In To-Towards a new philosophy. Harvard Press. pp. 148-157. Morgan, E. 1994. The aquatic ape hypothesis. The New Scientist 12 April. pp. 11-13. Turner, A. 1991. "Adaptation and the Aquatic Ape." In The Aquatic ape: Fact or Fiction. Souvenir Press. Pp. 133-141. Reynolds V. 1991. Cold and Watery? Hot and Dusty? Our Ancestral Environment and Our Ancestors Themselves: An Overview-" In The Aquatic Ape: Fact or Fiction. Souvenir Press. pp. 331-341. Williams, G. C. 1966. Adapation and Natural Selection. Princeton University Press. Artificial Selection Ennenga, G.R.B. 1997. Artificial Evolution. Artificial Life 3:51-61. (how does artificial selection, i.e. selection imposed by humans, differ from natural selection and what are its implications?). Biodiversity Abelson, J. September 29, 1997. "Biodiversity Preserve Offers 'Living Laboratory " 'In The Cornell Daily Sun. Coevolution Williams and Gilbert, 1981. Insects as selective agents on plant vegetative morphology: egg mimicry reduces egg laying by butterflies. Science 212:467-469. Gilbert, L.E. 1983. Coevolution and mimicry. in D.J. Futuyma and M. Slatkin,eds. Coevolution. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA. Gilbert, 1982. The coevolution of a butterfly and a vine. Sci. Am. 247:110-121. Feldman, M.W. and K.N. Laland. 1996. Gene-culture coevolutionary theory. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 11:453-457. Ehrlich, P. R. and Raven, P. H. 1967. Butterflies and plants. Sci. Am. 216:104-113. Conservation Erwin, T. L. 1991. An evolutionary basis for conservation strategies. Science 253:750-752. Development and evolution Oster, G. and P. Alberch. 1992. Evolution and bifurcation of developmental programs Evolution 36 (3):444-459. Murray, J.D.1988. How the Leopard Gets Its Spots. Scientific American. 258 (3):80-87. Ecosystem biology Bormann, F. H. and Likens, G. E. 1970. The nutrient cycles of an ecosystem. Sci. Am 223(4):92101. Evolution and Agriculture Gould, F. 1991. The Evolutionary Potential of Crop Pests. American Scientist 79:496-507. (evidence concerning microevolution in pest species that make pest control or weed management more difficult). Miller, D. R. and A. Y. Rossman. 1995. Systematics, Biodiversity and Agriculture. BioScience 45:680-685. (the importance of good systematic information to the management of agricultural crops). Davis, G. M. 1995. Systematics and Public Health. BioScience 45:705-714. (the importance of good systematics to an understanding and management of disease). Egbert, D. and W.D. Hamilton. 1996. Sex Against Virulence: The Coevolution of Parasitic Diseases. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 11:79-82. (the role of sexual reproduction in the coevolution between parasites and their hosts). Fitch, W. M. 1996. The Variety of Human Virus Evolution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 5:247-258. (evidence on the nature of human virus evolution, including influenza viruses, vesicular stomatitis virus and HIV). Leigh Brown, A. J. and E.C. Holmes. 1994. Evolutionary Biology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 25: 127 -165. (evidence concerning the origin of HIV viruses, patterns of genetic variation in HIV, and evolution of HIV within individuals). Obrien, S. J. and f.F. Evermann. 1988. Interactive Influence of Infectious Disease and Genetic Diversity in Natural Populations. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 3:254-259. (effects of disease on genetic variation in host populations, and the importance of variation in hosts for disease resistance). Sorci, G., A.P. MoHer and T. Boulinier. 1997. Genetics of Host-Parasite Interactions. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 12:196-200. (evidence on and evolutionary implications of the genetic basis of host-parasite susceptibility and resistance). Evolution and Conservation Biology Bamford, A. 1996. Extinction Filters and Current Resilience: The Significance of Past Selection Pressures for Conservation Biology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 11:193-196. (does past selection affect the ability of species to survive future challenges?) Frankham, R. 1996. Relationship of Genetic Variation to Population Size in Wildlife. Conservation Biology 10:1500-1508. (the effect of population size on genetic variation) . Mills, L. S. and F. W. Allendorf. 1996. The One-Migrant-per-Generation Rule in Conservation Management. Conservation Biology 10:1509-1518. (how much gene flow can be allowed between populations in order to maintain variation while preserving the distinctness of populations). Vogler, A. P. and R. Desalle. 1993. Diagnosing Units of Conservation Management. Conservation Biology 8:354-363. (What is the appropriate unit of conservation? Individuals, populations, species? And how should this be decided?) Young, A., T. Boyle, and T. Brown. 1996. Population Genetic Consequences of Habitat Fragmentation for Plants. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 11:413-418. (the effects of habitat fragmentation on loss of genetic variation). Evolution, fact and theory Gould, S.J. 1983. "Evolution as Fact and Theory", Ch. 19 (pp. 253-262) in Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes. W. W. Norton & Co., 413 pp. Johnson, P.E. 1993. "The Fact of Evolution", Ch. 5 (pp. 63-74) in Darwin on Trial. Intervarsity Press, pp. 220. Darwin, C. 1874. General summary and conclusions. Chapter 21 in The Descent. of Man. D. Appleton & Co. Evolution, historical development To access historical original papers on evolution, check out the selected papers and commentary at Donald Forsdyke's website - http://post.queensu.ca/ ~forsdyke/evolutio.htm#SELECTED PAPERS Extinction Raup, D. M. 1994. The role of extinction in evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 91:6758-6763. Fossils Briggs, D. E. G. 1991. Extraordinary fossils. 79:130-141. Behrensmeyer, A. K. 1984. Taphonomy and the fossil record. American Scientist 72: 558566. Gene flow Liebherr, J. K. 1988. Gene flow in ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of differing habitat preference and flight-wing development. Evolution 42:129-137. Schaal, B. A. 1980. Measurement of gene flow in Lupinus texensis. Nature 284:450-45 1. Wildt, D. E., Bush, M., Goodrowe, K. L, Packer, C., Pusey, A. E., Brown, J. L., Joslin, P., and O'Brien, S. J. 1987. Reproductive and genetic consequences of founding isolated lion populations. Nature 329: 328-330. Global warming Brookes, W. T. 1989. The global warming panic. Forbes 144:96-100. Stevens, W. K. 1993. Scientists confront renewed backlash on global warming. The New York Times (September 14,1993). Vitousek, P. M. 1994. Beyond global warming: ecology and global change. Ecology 75(7):1861-1876. (Excerpt) Stevens, W. K. 1995. Global warming experts call human role likely. The New York Times (September 10, 1995). Gillis, A. M. 1996. Weathering warming in Colorado. Bioscience 46(3):178-180. Lynch, C. F. 1996. Global warning. The Amicus Journal 18(l):20-25. Broad, W. J. 1997. Another possible climate culprit: the sun. Science Times (The New York Times) (September 23, 1997). Macilwain, C. 1997. US target 'likely to equal 1990 emissions'. Nature 389:531. Macilwain, C. 1997. Public rejects sceptics 'line on global warming. Nature 389:531. Taubes, G. 1997. Apocalypse not. Science 278:1004-1006. Gaffen, Dian J. 1998. Falling satellites, rising temperatures? Nature 394:615-616. Broad, W. J. September 23, 1997. "Another Possible Climate Culprit: the Sun" in The New York Times, p. F1. Brookes, W. T. December 25, 1989. "The Global Warming Panic" in Forbes, pp. 96-100. Global Warming Letters. September 28, 1993. The New York Times. Hominid and human evolution Leakey, M. and A. Walker. 1997. Early Hominid Fossils from Africa. Scientific American, June, pp. 74-79. (evolutionary relationships between Australopethecine species and humans based on fossil evidence). Tattersall, I. 1997. Out of Africa Again... and Again. Scientific American, April, pp. 60-67. (evolutionary history of early humans and their migration(s) out of Africa based on molecular evidence). Wilson, A. C. and R.L. Cann. 1992. The Recent African Genesis of Humans. Scientific American, April, pp. 68-73. (evolutionary origins of humans in Africa based on molecular evidence). Human impact Boyce, N. 1998. A necessary evil. New Scientist (7 February 1998):18-19. Commoner, B. 1971. The Closing Circle. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. pp. 41- 45. Grizzle, R. E. 1994. Environmentalism should include human ecological needs. Bioscience 44(4):263-268. Parry-Jones, R. and A. Vincent. 1998. Can we tame wild medicine? New Scientist (3 January 1998): 26-29. Vitousek, P. M., H. A. Mooney, J. Lubchenco, and J. M. Melillo. 1997. Human domination of earth's ecosystems. Science 277:494-499. Boyce, N. 1998. A necessary evil. New Scientist (7 February 1998):18-19. Commoner, B. 1971. The Closing Circle. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. pp. 41-45. Grizzle, R. E. 1994. Environmentalism should include human ecological needs. Bioscience 44(4):263-268. Parry-Jones, R. and A. Vincent. 1998. Can we tame wild medicine? New Scientist (3 January 1998): 26-29. Vitousek, P. M., H. A. Mooney, J. Lubchenco, and J. M. Melillo. 1997. Human domination of earth's ecosystems. Science 277:494-499. Mate choice Andersson, M. 1982. Female choice selects for extreme tail length in a widowbird. Nature 199:818-820. Basolo, A. 1990. Female preference predates the evolution of the sword in swordtail fish. Science 250:808-810. Bateson, P. 1983. Mate Choice. Cambridge University Press. (many relevant essays) Houde, A. and Endler, J. A. 1990. Correlated evolution of female mating preferences and male color patterns in the guppy Poecilia reticulate. Science 248:1405-1408. Kirkpatrick, M. 1982. Sexual selection and the evolution of female choice. Evolution 36:1-12. Milinski, M. and Bakker, T., C. M. 1990. Female sticklebacks use male coloration in mate choice and hence avoid parasitized males. Nature 344:330-333. Moller, A. P. 1988. Female choice selects for male sexual tail ornaments in the monogamous swallow. Nature 332:640-642. Partridge, L. and T. Halliday 1984. Mating patterns and mate choice. Pp. 222-250 in Behavioral ecology (J. R. Krebs and N. B. Davies, eds.). Sinauer Associates. Ryan, M. J. et al. 1990. Sexual selection for sensory exploitation in the frog Physalaemus pustulosus. Nature 343:66-67. Microevolution Moran, N. A. and Whitham, T. G. 1989. Evolutionary reduction in complex life cycles:loss of host alternation in Pemphigus (Homoptera: Aphididae). Evolution 42:717-728. Reznick, D. A, Bryga, H., and Endler, P. A. 1990. Experimentally induced life-history evolution in a natural population. Nature 346:357-359. Natural selection Bethell, T. 1976. Darwin's mistake. Harper's Magazine 252:70-75. Boag and Grant (1981) The Beak of the Finch, Ch. 1-7 Darwin, C. 1859. "Natural Selection", Ch.4 in On the Origin of Species, Crown Publishers, Inc.    Endler, J. A. 1980. Natural selection on color patterns in Poecilia reticulate. Evolution 34:76-91. Gould, S. J. 1977. Darwin's untimely burial. pp. 39-45 in Ever Since Darwin. W. W. Norton, New York, NY. Boag, P. T. and Grant, P. R. 1981. Intense natural selection in a population of Darwin's Finches (Geospizinae) in the Galapagos. Science 214:604-607. Neutral theory Kimura, M. 1979. The neutral theory of molecular evolution. Scientific American 241:98-126. Kimura, M. 1983. The neutral theory of molecular evolution. pp. 208-233. in M. Nei and R.K. Koehn. eds. Evolution of Genes and Proteins. Sinauer. Sunderland, MA. Origin of Novelty Shubin, N., C. Tabin, and S. Carroll. 1997. Fossils, genes and the evolution of animal limbs. Nature 388:639-648. Alberch, P. 1983. Morphological variation in the neotropical salamander genus Bolitoglossa. Evolution 37:906-919. Meyer, A. 1987. Phenotypic plasticity and heterochrony in Cichlasoma managuense (Pisces, Cichilidae) and their implications for speciation in cichlid fishes. Evolution 41:1357-1369. Guerrant, E.0. 1982. Neotenic evolution of Delphiniwn nudicaule (Ranunculaceae): a hummingbird-pollinated larkspur. Evolution 36:699-712. Pest control Pimentel, D. 1977. The ecological basis of insect pest, pathogen and weed problems. pp. 3-31 in Cherrett, J. M. and G. R. Sagar, editors. 1977. Origins of Pest, Parasite, Disease and Weed Problems. Blackwell Scientific Publications, London. Carson, R. 1962. Silent Spring (selection). Fawcett Publications, Inc., Connecticut. Pedigo, L. P. 1989. Entomology and Pest Management (selection). Macmillan Publishing Company, New York. Altiere, M. A. and Letoumeau, D. K. 1982. Vegetation management and biological control in agroecosystems. Crop Protection 1(4):405-430. Hokkanen, H. M. T. and Pimentel, D. 1989. New associations in biological control: theory and practice. The Canadian Entomologist 121 (10):829-840. Phylogeny Brooks et al. 1995. Systematics, ecology, and behavior: integrating phylogenetic patterns and evolutionary mechanisms. BioScience 45:687-695. McDade, L. A. 1992. Pollinator relationships, biogeography, and phylogenetics. BioScience 42:21-26. Morell, V. 1997. The origin of dogs: running with the wolves. Science 276:16471648. (This article gives a splendid overview of the methods and conclusions from the more technical article by Vila et al. 1997). Vila, C. et al. 1997. Multiple and ancient origins of the domestic dog. Science 276:1687-1689 plus the letters that followed and the response to those letters. Population growth Cohen, J. E. 1995. Population growth and earth's human carrying capacity. Science 269:341-346. Ehrlich, P. R. and Ehrlich, A. H. 1990. The population explosion. The Amicus Journal. Punctuated equilibrium Brown, W. L. 1987. Punctuated equilibrium excused: the original examples fail to support it. Biol. J. Linnean Society 31:383-404. Charlesworth, B., Lande, R. and Slatkin, M. 1982. A neo-Darwinian commentary on macroevolution. Evolution 36:474-498. Eldredge, N. and Gould, S. J. 1972. Punctuated equilibria: an alternative to phyletic gradualism. Pp. 82-115 in Models in Paleobiology (T. J. Schopf, ed.). Freeman, Cooper. San Francisco. Gould, S. J. 1980. Is a new and general theory of evolution emerging? Paleobiology 6:119-130. Gould, S. J. 1982. The meaning of punctuated equilibrium and its role in validating a hierarchical approach to macroevolution. Pages 83-104 in R. Milkman, ed. Perspectives on Evolution. Sinauer Associates. Gould, S. J. and Eldredge, N. 1977. Punctuated equilibrium: the tempo and mode of evolution revisited. Paleobiology 3:115-151. Gould, S. J., and N. Eldredge. 1993. Punctuated equilibrium comes of age. Nature 366:223-227. Lande, R. 1986. The dynamics of peak shifts and the pattern of morphological evolution. Paleobiology 12:343-354. Lemen, C. A. and Freeman, P. W. 1989. Testing macroevolutionary hypotheses with cladistic analysis: evidence against rectangular evolution. Evolution 43:1538-1554. Levinton, J. 1988. Genetics, Paleontology and Macroevolution. Cambridge University Press. Stanley, S. 1982. Macroevolution and the fossil record. Evolution 36:460-473. Sexual selection Andrade, M. C. B. 1996. Sexual selection for male sacrifice in the Australian redback spider. Science 271:70-72. Species concept Coyne, J. et al. 1988. Do we need a new species concept? Systematic Zoology 37:190-200. Lambert, D. M. et al. 1987. Are species self-defining? Systematic Zoology 36:196-205. Mallet, J. 1995. A species definition for the Modern Synthesis. TREE 10:294-298 + letters and replies. Masters, J. C. et al. 1987. The concept of species: recognition versus isolation. S. African Journal of Science. 83:534-537. Paterson, H. E. H. 1981. The continuing search for the unknown and unknowable: a critique of contemporary ideas on speciation. S. African Journal of Science 77:113-119. Paterson, H. E. H. 1985. The recognition concept of species. Pp. 21-29 in Species and Speciation (E. S. Vrba, ed.). Transvaal Museum. Speciation Schluter, D. 1994. Experimental evidence that competition promotes divergence in adaptive radiation. Science 266:798-801. Bush, G.L. 1994. Sympatric speciation in animals: new wine in old bottles. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 11:453-457. Grant, P. R. 1981. Speciation and the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches. American Scientist 69:653-663. Powell, J. R. 1978. The founder-flush speciation theory: an experimental approach. Evolution 32:465-474. Systematics Brooks, D. R., D. A. McLennan, J. M. Carpenter, S. G. Weller and J. A. Coddington. 1995. Systematics, ecology and behavior. BioScience 45:687-695. deQuieroz, K. and M.J. Donoghue. 1988. Phylogenetic systematics and the species problem. Cladistics 4:317-338. Lauder, G. V., R. B. Huey, R. K. Monson, and R. J. Jenson. 1995. Systematics and the study of organismal form and function. BioScience 45(10): 696-704. Patterson, C. 1987. Introduction. Pages 1-22 in Molecules and Morphology in Evolution:Conflicts or Compromise. Cambridge University Press. Sanz, J. L. et al 1988. Unusual early Cretaceous birds from Spain. Nature 331:433-435. Cracraft, J. 1988. Early evolution of birds. Nature 331:389-390. Last updated September 26, 2001 Comments, questions or new links? Contact Anne at astork@cisunix.unh.edu