I have placed several papers from last year on reserve in Dirac Library.  The range of grades on these papers varies; I have selected papers of variable quality so you can see what I consider to be an "A" level paper and a "B" level paper.  You should look at these papers after you have read the posted handout on how to write a thesis paper. There should be no question about what is expected of the thesis paper.

Because I have posted these papers, however, I must forbid any papers from this class on these same topics. The following topics are therefore forbidden:

• Origin of insect wings

• Geographic origins of the human species ("out of Africa" hypothesis and its relatives)

• Sexual selection for color preference in dichromatic species

• Evolution of antifreeze proteins

• Differential genetic susceptibilities to HIV infection and pathology

I also must forbid two additional topics for my own sanity:

• The role of asteroid impacts on the mass extinctions at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

• Were the "dinosaurs" warm-blooded?