Systematics and Evolution Discussion Group

Current topics in Systematics and Evolution, Fall 2007

We meet weekly to discuss papers on interesting topics and the latest development in the fields of systematics, phylogenetics, evolutionary theory and related areas. Usually, two complementary or opposing papers are selected for each week. Guests are invited that are either authors on the discussed papers, or have substantial expertise in the field.

Officially, we are ENTO 812 Graduate Seminar, but EVERYBODY IS WELCOME!

All participants are encouraged to suggest papers so we don’t pick topics that interest only us (please e-mail your suggestions to JH)!
Are you going to publish your own paper but would like some feedback first? Let’s discuss it!
Did you find a flawed publication in a good journal that you think deserves criticism? Bring it up!

Each Thursday, 4:30 - 5:30 pm, room 244 Natural Sciences Bldg. Following each session we usually proceed to one of the nearby pubs.

If you want to join our mailing list, please send your e-mail address to JH, I will keep you informed.

Contacts:

Jiri Hulcr (hulcr@msu.edu)

Anthony Cognato (cognato@msu.edu)

Aaron Smith (smit1024@msu.edu)

Phone: 517-432-2373

	topic	agenda	papers download	guest	discussion MC
30-Aug	first meeting, food for thought	How many papers per session? A leader for each session?	Dayrat 2005. Towards integrative taxonomy. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 85 (3): 407-415
6-Sep	The Species Question	A new species of clouded leopard or just a taxonomic inflation?	Buckley-Beason et al. 2006. Molecular Evidence for Species-Level Distinctions in Clouded Leopards. Current Biology, Volume 16, Issue 23, Pages 2371-2376; Meiri & Mace 2007. New Taxonomy and the Origin of Species. PLoS Biol 5(7): e194		Jeff
13-Sep	Phylogenies resolved!	With 106 genes and 8 taxa, phylogenetics is easy.	Rokas, Williams, King, Carroll 2003. Genome-scale approaches to resolving incongruence in molecular phylogenies. NATURE 425, 798-804	Barry Williams, Department of Zoology & Microbiology	Jiri
20-Sep	DNA taxonomy	Taxonomy based on DNA only – somewhere in between a panacea and a can of worms	Vogler AP, Monaghan MT 2007. Recent advances in DNA taxonomy. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH 45 (1): 1-10	Anthony Cognato, Dept. of Entomology
27-Sep	Lateral gene transfer and phylogenies	Is there really only one Tree of Life?	Bergthorsson et al. 2003. Widespread horizontal transfer of mitochondrial genes in flowering plants. NATURE 424 (6945): 197-201; Ropiquet & Hassanin 2006. Hybrid origin of the Pliocene ancestor of wild goats. MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION 41 (2): 395-404
4-Oct	Molecular clock vs. punctuated equilibria	Molecular clock versus punctuated equilibria in the evolution of DNA sequence.	Gilooly et al 2005. The rate of DNA evolution: Effects of body size and temperature on the molecular clock. PNAS 102 (1): 140-145; Pagel, Venditti, Meade 2006. Large Punctuational Contribution of Speciation to Evolutionary Divergence at the Molecular Level. SCIENCE 314, 119-121		Sarah
Tuesday 9-Oct	DNA barcoding	One of the few interesting battles in the 300 years of taxonomy.	Hebert et al. 2004. Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the neotropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator. PNAS 101 (41): 14812-14817; Brower, A.V.Z. 2006. Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitarion: 'ten species' of Astraptes fulgerator reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Systematics and Biodiversity, 4(2), 127-132.; Cameron, S., D. Rubinoff and K. Will 2006. Who Will Actually Use DNA Barcoding and What Will it Cost? Systematic Biology. 55: 844-847	Dan Rubinoff, University of Hawaii
18-Oct	Phylogenomics	Using whole genoms in deriving evolutionary scenarios and why it is not easy.	Hillier et al. 2004. Sequence and comparative analysis of the chicken genome provide unique perspectives on vertebrate evolution. NATURE 432 (7018): 695-716.	Jerry B. Dodgson, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics,dodgson@msu.edu
25-Oct	Experimental evolution	Adaptive evolution during 20,000 generations of E. coli.	Cooper, T. F., D. E. Rozen, and R. E. Lenski. 2003. Parallel changes in gene expression after 20,000 generations of evolution in E. coli. PNAS 100: 1072-1077	Rich Lenski, EEBB, Micorbiology & Molecular Genetics	Renee
1-Nov	Phylogeography	Tracking dolphins with sequencer in hand.	Harlin-Cognato et al. 2007. Multi-locus phylogeography of the dusky dolphin. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2007, 7:131.	April Cognato, Zoology & Fisheries and Wildlife
8-Nov	Human phylogeography	One strange analysis of human mtDNA	Ingman et al. 2000: Mitochondrial genome variation and the origin of modern humans. Nature 408, 708-713.
15-Nov	Evolution of unfair sex	Non-mendelian genetic systems	Normark BB. 2006. Maternal king groups and the origins of assymetric genetic systems – genomic imprinting, haplodiploidy, and parthenogenesis. Evolution 60(4), 631-642.		Stephanie
22-Nov	*-----*	Thanksgiving, stay home and eat.
29-Nov	Collections	The future of Natual History Collections: where are they going and what will they look like?	Prather, L. A., Alvarez-Fuentes, O., Mayfield, M. H., and Ferguson, C. J. 2004: The Decline of Plant Collecting in the United States: A Threat to the Infrastructure of Biodiversity Studies. Systematic Botany 29: 15-28. Winker K. 2004: Natural History Museums in a Postbiodiversity Era. BioScience 54: 455-459.	Alan Prather, Dept of Plant Biology	Aaron
6-Dec	The Christmas topic	Public Acceptance of Evolution	Miller et al 2006. Public Acceptance of Evolution. SCIENCE 313 (5788): 765-766; Antonovics et al. 2007. Evolution by Any Other Name: Antibiotic Resistance and Avoidance of the E-Word. PLoS Biol 5(2): e30	Jon D Miller, Department of Political Science	Chris

Collaboration of ICZN and Zoobank.
gene trees and species trees	Barkman et al. Independent and combined analyses of sequences from all three genomic compartments converge on the root of flowering plant phylogeny PNAS 97 (24): 13166-13171
Unresolved basal linneages of life reflect reality.	Rokas & Carroll 2006. Bushes in the Tree of Life. PLoS Biol 4(11): e352;
human phylogeography	neaderthal DNA: Krings etl al. 1997: Cell 90, 19-30; Hey 1997. Molecular Biology and Evolution 14, 166-172