Biology 307

Homepage for Biology of Sex at SDSU

This is your information page for course Biology 307 at San Diego State University taught by Dr. Mark Sussman. Various resources, weblinks, and other information pertinent to the class will be available on this website.

First test: February 25th, 2010

Second test: March 25th, 2010

Final Exam: May 18th, 2010 (1:00 pm)

Class related information (click on the text to download):

Contact information for Dr. Sussman:

Mark Sussman, Ph.D.
SDSU Heart Institute and Biology Department
Life Sciences North, room 426
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182

fax: (619) 594-2610
e-mail: sussman@heart.sdsu.edu
        (please type "Bio 307" in the subject of your e-mail)



Course description
This is the syllabus of the course explaining the goals, topics to be covered, and my basic policies.

General schedule of classes
Remember, the schedule of classes is a general format - the order and pace can and will undoubtedly be modified throughout the semester depending upon how fast or slow we go in the lectures..

Adding or "crashing" the course: Please see this link here that explains the procedure I use for students wishing to crash the class. I will do my best to add as many students as possiblewithout getting in trouble with SDSU fire safety or seating limitations. .


Websites of interest:

Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation

Desmond Morris information page

Tim Birkhead home page

Richard Dawkins home page




Websites related to classroom lecture topics:

Is love in our DNA?
 (related to Lecture #2 on "Why is Sex Important?")

The advantage of sex
(related to Lecture #2 on "The Red Queen")



Web Article Links (not necessarily the views of the webmaster or SDSU, but some provocative food for thought):

Life without sex

Female flies pick males with sexy eyes

Why is sex so popular?

Basics of animal reproduction

Interesting factoids about sex and reproduction across the phyla

Sex lives of insects

Adult monogamy: love, sex, and natural selection

Sex for Memes' sake

Evolutionary oddities: duck sex organ, lizard tongue

Cockerels dole out sperm with precision

Sexual reproduction and high mutation rates

Fluorescent feathers give parrots added allure

"Sexually antagonistic" bugs evolve new weapons

Biology of sexual orientation

Mating rituals of some birds



Images and videos:

  1. Jumping spider mating with sound (47 MB - broadband download ONLY)!
  2. Prairie chicken lek with sound (64 MB - broadband download ONLY)!
  3. Rat mating pack with sound(16 MB)
  4. Rhino beetles (9 MB)

Research journal articles (pdf format for downloading):

  1. Cuckoldry and sexual selection
  2. Sexual conflict
  3. Bean weevil - battle of the sexes
  4. Polyandrous females
  5. Sex increases speed of evolution
  6. Role of glans penis in coitus
  7. Evolution of genitalia (and separate news article)
  8. Brain as a sexual organ
  9. Why the Y chromosome?