| Unit name | Tree of Life |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL30004 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Beaumont |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This course is all about the profound insight into evolution that can be gained by appreciating that the genetic material we see today has been copied, generation by generation, from ancestor to ancestor, down to the Tree of Life that connect all living beings, from humans to bacteria. The aim of this course is to provide a good introduction to genealogies and phylogenies, and how they are used in modern comparative genomics and population genetics. The topics covered in the course include: An introduction to coalescent theory and gene genealogies; The effects of demography, selection, and recombination on genealogies; Insights into human evolution from genomic analysis; The incompatibility between gene-trees and species-trees; Methods of phylogenetic reconstruction; The Tree of Life; Challenges to the Tree of Life; Troubleshooting phylogenies, with examples from major taxa; The Phylogeny of Mammals and the phylogeny of the animals (Metazoa); There will also be a research lecture by a guest speaker.
By the end of the unit the student will have a good understanding of gene
genealogies and phylogenies; how these can be reconstructed from gene
sequence data; and how the various ancestral processes affect variation
between and within species. The student will have improved insights into
evolution, and a deeper knowledge of the relationships of different organisms,
including an improved understanding of human evolution.
Lectures, directed reading, research and/or problem-solving activities; and independent study.
Summative written assessment, with one essay question to be selected from a choice of two.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BIOL30004).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
