SL20006: Concepts in evolution (BB20040)
[Page last updated: 26 October 2023]
| Academic Year: | 2023/24 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Life Sciences |
| Credits: | 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 120 |
| Level: | Intermediate (FHEQ level 5) |
| Period: |
- Semester 1
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| Assessment Summary: | CW 50%, EX 50% |
| Assessment Detail: |
- BB20040 Essay (CW 50%)
- BB20040 Examination (EX 50%)
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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| Requisites: |
Before taking this module you must take BB10012 OR take BB10265
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| Learning Outcomes: |
After taking this course the student should be able to:
* utilise concepts from evolutionary theory, optimisation theory, behavioural ecology and ecological genetics in understanding ecological and evolutionary issues;
* discuss key concepts in macroevolution and the evolution of modern biodiversity;
* demonstrate an understanding of the role of biological and physical factors in shaping macroevolutionary patterns;
* demonstrate an understanding of the role of mathematical modelling in evolutionary biology;
* demonstrate an understanding of how concepts are applied to understand human evolution.
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| Aims: | To develop an understanding of key concepts in microevolution and macroevolution; to place these in the context of the history of evolutionary thought; to apply these concepts to key problems in evolution; and to understand how they apply to evolution in real populations and in humans.
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| Skills: | Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Information technology T/F, Information handling & retrieval T/F/A, Working independently T/F.
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| Content: | The background and reception of The Origin of Species; The age of the earth and the rate of evolution; modelling evolutionary processes; group selection, individual selection, gene level selection; linkage disequilibrium, hitchhiking, disease locus mapping, modifer analysis; measuring and understanding heritability; introduction to quantitative genetics; neutral evolution, the problem of polymorphism and the strength of selection; introduction to molecular evolution: Detecting selection and neutral evolution at the molecular level; selfish elements, genetic conflicts and the corruption of individual level thinking .
Quantitative genetics - connecting variation at the molecular level to variances at the phenotypic level; Influence of inbreeding and non-random mating; Migration, gene flow and metapopulations; Haplotype networks to examine population history; Coalescence and drift; optimality.
Sexual selection and genome evolution; genome-wide screens for selection using comparative primate genomics and the neanderthal genome; population genetic evidence for recent adaptation in human populations; genetic diversity and "The 1000 human genome project"; elucidating molecular adaptation in the post-genomic era.
Why sex? costs and benefits of sexual and asexual reproduction; genetical and ecological approaches to resolving the paradox of sex; constraints on the evolution of asex; insights from geographic parthenogenesis and spatial modelling.
Macroevolution: phyletic gradualism vs. punctuated equilibrium; diversity through time; what drives evolution? the Tree of Life; cladistics; reconstructing evolutionary pathways; molecular clocks; the origins of novelty and the origins of higher taxa; mass extinctions; testing macroevolutionary hypotheses.
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| Course availability: |
SL20006 is Optional on the following courses:
Department of Chemistry
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Environmental Science stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Pharmacology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Pharmacology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Pharmacology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Environmental Science stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Environmental Science stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Environmental Science stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Chemistry stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Environmental Science with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Pharmacology with Biology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Pharmacology with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Pharmacology with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Pharmacology with Chemistry stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Pharmacology with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Pharmacology with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Year long work placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Pharmacology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Pharmacology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Pharmacology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Pharmacology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 2)
- USSC-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 2)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 2)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 2)
Department of Life Sciences
- USSL-AFB02 : BSc(Hons) Biology (Year 2)
- USSL-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Biology with Professional Placement (Year 2)
- USSL-AFM02 : MBiol(Hons) Biology (Year 2)
- USSL-AKM02 : MBiol(Hons) Biology with Professional Placement (Year 2)
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Notes: - This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
- Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
- Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
- Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.
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