• Interactions of organisms and their environment, emphasizing biological principles at levels above the individual.
• Ecological and evolutionary topics are given equal weight.
• Ecological questions range from physiological adaptations to the functioning of ecosystems.
• Although principles are emphasized, some questions may consider applications to current environmental problems.
• Questions in evolution range from its genetic foundations through evolutionary processes to their consequences.
• Evolution is considered at the molecular, individual, population, and higher levels.
• Principles of ecology, genetics, and evolution are interrelated in many questions.
• Some questions may require quantitative skills, including the interpretation of simple mathematical models.

A. Ecology — 16-17%

1. Environment/organism interaction
Biogeographic patterns; Adaptations to environment; Temporal patterns
2. Behavioral ecology
Habitat selection; Mating systems; Social systems; Resource acquisition
3. Population structure and function
Population dynamics/regulation; Demography and life history strategies
4. Communities
Interspecific relationships; Community structure and diversity; Change and succession
5. Ecosystems
Productivity and energy flow; Chemical cycling

B. Evolution — 16-17%

1. Genetic variability
Origins (mutations, linkage, recombination, and chromosomal alterations), Levels (e.g., polymorphism and heritability), Spatial patterns (e.g., clines and ecotypes), Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
2. Evolutionary processes
Gene flow and genetic drift; Natural selection; Levels of selection (e.g., individual and group)
3. Evolutionary consequences
Fitness and adaptation; Speciation; Systematics and phylogeny; Convergence, divergence, and extinction
4. History of life
Origin of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, Fossil record, Paleontology and paleoecology