Entry requirements

Biology 80 credits, equivalent to basic courses in biology within the Bachelor's programme in biology.

Learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Give examples of several evolutionary innovations essential for the terrestrial plants possibilities to establish and diversify in different environments

• Understand and account for basic physiological/functional, genetic/developmental and phylogenetic/biodiversity aspects of these innovations

• Show a deep understanding of how we, from different perspectives, can illustrate and contribute to a more general understanding of the origin of evolutionary innovations and their underlying genotypic and phenotypic mechanisms

• Understand and account for – basic aspects regarding diversity, phylogenetic relationships and morphology of plants – the principles behind historical analysis of relationships and character evolution – basic aspects regarding the anatomy and physiology of plants – molecular mechanisms behind important morphological and physiological innovations – the principles of inference for evolutionary mechanisms based on genomic variation – the principles for analysis of DNA sequences and gene expression

• Understand and independently make use of – statistical methods to recreate evolutionary processes at DNA level – phylogenetic trees to describe evolutionary patterns and analyse evolutionary causalities

• Perform and show practical skills in microscopy and genetic analysis

• Discuss and communicate principles, problems and research results for questions within the framework of the contents of the course

Content

During evolution, different morphological, structural and physiological innovations have had central importance for the possibility of plants to establish and diversify in different environments. The course focuses on some of these innovations, for example the origin of vascular tissue and flowers and how different plants adapt to their environment. The course provides a deep understanding of these evolutionary innovations from different perspectives. The subparts include:

• Extensive physiological/functional aspects of the evolutionary innovations covered by the course. The teaching includes lectures, laboratory sessions (wet lab), self-studies and parts with elements of PBL character

• Extensive coverage of genetic-development biological aspects of evolutionary innovations covered by the course. The teaching consists of lectures, laboratory sessions (computer exercises) and self-studies

• Extensive coverage of phylogenetic-biodiversity aspects of evolutionary innovations covered by the course. The teaching includes lectures, laboratory sessions (computer exercises), seminars and self-studies

• Project work

In connection to one of the involved research disciplines, a practical or literature-based independent project with focus on one evolutionary innovation not included in the course, that are presented both orally and in written form

Theory 8 credits; Laboratory sessions 3 credits; Project work 4 credits

Instruction

The teaching consists of lectures, seminars and laboratory sessions.

Assessment

The theory part comprises a written examination (8 credits) and parts with PBL character, the latter which will be presented both orally and in written form. The project work is presented in the form of a written report (4 credits). Compulsory parts of the course are the laboratory sessions (3 credits), seminars and parts with PBL character and connected lectures