3 ECTS credits
75 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4018830FNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Enrollment Requirements
Students who want to enroll for this course, must be enrolled in the programme Master Biology: Tropimundo.
Taught in
English
Partnership Agreement
Under interuniversity agreement for degree program
Faculty
Faculty of Science and Bio-engineering Sciences
Department
Biology
External partners
Università degli Studi di Firenze
Educational team
Decaan WE (course titular)
Activities and contact hours

20 contact hours Lecture
4 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
Course Content

Table of contents :

Lectures:

History and background of Phylogeography. Microevolution, macroevolution and speciation. Coalescence theory. The mitochondrial DNA. Principal molecular techniques. Sequence data analysis: sequence alignment, methods for calculation of genetic distance. Genetic trees. Monophlyletic, paraphyletic and polyphyletic groups. Phylogenetic Inference methods (distance method – NJ, UPGMA - e discrete method - maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian Inference). The bootstrap method. The concept of molecular clock. Neutral theory of molecular evolution. Population genetic structure and gene flow: the F- statistics. Historical demographic events: the neutrality test and the mismatch distribution analysis. Phylogeography categories. Phylogeography and conservation genetics: evolutionary significant units and management units. Nested clade analysis.

Exercises:

Principal software for the analysis of sequence data. Case studies.

Additional info

Course material, text books and further reading :

John C. Avise, 2000. Phylogeography: the history and formation of species. Harvard University Press.

John C. Avise, 2004. Molecular markers, natural history, and evolution. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Pub.

Scientific papers.

Duplicated lecture notes.

Please consult the course descriptions on the TROPIMUNDO website for the most completed and updated course descriptions.

Learning Outcomes

Algemene Competenties

Course objectives :

Learn about history and background of Phylogeography. Understand philosophies and methods of molecular data analysis. Learn about species phylogenies and population genetic structure, in terms of theories and statistical methods. Know the principal molecular markers. Discuss study cases and applications to zoological problems.

Learning outcomes : please note the general comment on learning outcomes

Education level: Specialised Ecosystem focus: Animal Biological level: Organism

Knowledge of the mechanisms of micro and macro-evolution processes. Capacity of analyzing and discussing research papers on phylogeography and population genetic structure. Autonomy in participating to a phylogeography research.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Other Exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Exam : Oral

2nd session : oral or written exam to be decided by the teacher.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Brussels
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Cayenne