Duration
30h Th, 20h Pr, 1d FW
Number of credits
| Bachelor in biology | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
One aspect of biology is understanding the diversity and functioning of organisms in the present time. Another aspect is to understand how today's diversity has been shaped over time. This course is part of this second aspect.
The aim of the course is to give an introduction to evolutionary biology, to answer questions such as: Why are there so many species on earth? Which groups are the richest in cash and why? Where is most of the biodiversity on earth and why? How has current diversity been structured over time? How do we study evolution today, and how did we arrive at current theories?
Among the themes we will discuss
-Historical aspects: from Darwin to the neo-Darwinian synthesis
-The appearance of life on earth and its diversification
-The great extinction crises
-Introduction to the concept of phylogenetic trees and the methods to build them
-Some major evolutionary theories (punctuated equilibria, the Red Queen, the concept of neutrality)
-Elements of population genetics
-Elements of biogeography, phylogeography and chorology
-Structuring of biodiversity on earth
This course therefore constitutes a basis for many disciplines which will be studied in depth during the master's courses such as biogeography, phylogenetic methods, and the various courses in taxonomy and phylogenetics, and population genetics.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The objectives of the course are to:
- Build an idea of the mechanisms and events that led to the presence of current organisms on earth
- Familiarize yourself with the concepts of evolutionary biology that will be constantly requested during many courses of the master
- Become familiar with the methods and recent advances in the field of evolutionary biology
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No definite prerequisite as this is an introductory course, but notions of biodiversity, taxonomy and general ecology (in particular those given in the course 'Biodiversity and ecology', Block 2 of the bachelor's degree in biological sciences) will be useful
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
- Lectures alternating theoretical explanations with case studies to familiarize oneself with the format of scientific articles, and recent advances.
-Practical work consisting in identifying the diversity of plant organisms thanks to the Belgian Blue Flora
-Group work focusing on describing the diversity and evolutionary history of a group of organisms chosen by the students
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Attendance at practical work is compulsory. Otherwise, the student will be declared "inadmissible" for the exam.
The majority of theoretical courses take the form of lectures with power point and video support. Student work in teams or individuals will be organized.
The course also includes practical work to determine flowering plants in our regions (exercises based on the "Blue Flora" by J. Lambinon et al.). It also includes training in "instant" identification without documentation of trees and shrubs in our regions (with or without flowers or fruits); to do this, the Sart Tilman university domain is covered during two half-days in the field and all the trees and shrubs are identified.
Organisational adjustments related to the current health context
Recommended or required readings
Slideshows will be available on eCampus
Assessment methods and criteria
Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.
Any session :
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
- Remote
written exam ( open-ended questions )
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred in-person
Additional information:
Student assessment consists of
- a written exam in session, on the subjects of the theoretical course
-evaluation of group work, which will be accompanied or not by an oral presentation depending on the number of students
- a practical examination consisting of (a) the determination of flowering plants, with only Belgium's "Blue Flora" available. (b) instant identification without documentation of a few representatives of a batch of 40 trees and shrubs from our regions (native or commonly planted)
To be successful, you need at least 10/20 for the whole course and at least 8/20 in each of its parts. The weighting is as follows: theory 40%; group work 20%, "Blue flora" 30%; trees and shrubs 10%.
Work placement(s)
See french text
Organizational remarks
Contacts
See French text