Prospectus

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EBC / Trends in Biodiversity in Time and Space

Course
2010-2011

Coordinator

Marco Roos: email roos@nhn.leidenuniv.nl

Description

Advanced topics in systematics and biodiversity studies will be introduced and practiced:

  • Advanced phylogenetics: application of state of the art computeralgorithms.

  • Homology assessment: the reconstruction of character evolution and the role of evo-devo analyses of specific structures.

  • Biodiversity information systems: the building of data bases and the possibilities of data mining, e.g. for spatial pattern analyses.

  • The development of phylogenomics as an approach in Systems biology, incl. multidisciplinary approaches to understanding adaptive and non-adaptive radiations

  • Advanced spatial pattern analyses and historical biogeography: integrative approaches to map and analyze present distributions, reconstruct past distributions, and model possible future distributions; this includes advanced Island Biogeography in relation to conservation aspects, Paleobiogeography and –ecology.

Methods of instruction

Lectures, exercises, literature study, demonstrations.

Study material

Recent literature.

Examination

Written reports, oral presentation.
Course requirements/recommendations
BSc-course Biodiversity, theory and practice of systematics

Time table

Will be sent in due time.

Application

via USIS

Blackboard

Via regular ways or directly to Peter van Welzen (welzen@nhn.leidenuniv.nl).

Course objective

To provide a theoretical basis for the research applications showcased in “Wealth of the World”: good understanding of concepts of time and space; of collection data, data basing and data mining; of the practice of phylogeny reconstruction; of biogeographic methods and practice; of the integration of paleo/actual data

Remarks