Objectives
Knowledge:
- Know the history of evolutionary thought;
- Understand the importance of the study of evolutionary relationships between living beings;
- Enumerate the main methods of phylogenetic inference;
- Know the main stages of the evolution of life on Earth;
- Enumerate the main evolutionary forces and understand their action at several levels;
- Consider human evolution in a modern context.
- Critically analyze published case studies;
- Actively participate in group work;
- Orally present published case studies in a scientifically correct and visually appealing way;
- Critically analyze scientific views on the evolution of modern humans.
Syllabus
1. Introduction
1.1. The concept of evolution
1.2. The history of evolutionary thought; Darwin's contribute; criticism and evidences of evolution
2. Evolutionary relationships between organisms
2.1. Phylogenetic trees and phylogenetic inference methods; taxonomy in a phylogenetic context
2.2. The origin of life; the importance of the fossil record; main evolutionary events in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
3. Evolutionary forces: mutation; sexual reproduction; genetic drift; migration and geographical isolation; natural selection and adaptation
4. Evolution at different levels: from genes to species
5. Evolution in modern humans
Teaching Methods
The evaluation is continuous. Teacher-centred methods will be used to impart basic theoretical knowledge, and student-centred methods will be used to facilitate the acquisition of skills and competences. The forum proposal of four scientific questions using collaborative activities in the classroom ("learning through teaching"), in groups of 2-3 students, will be worth 40% of the final grade. The groups will be in charge of evaluating the answers of their colleagues in a reasoned way. "Learning by discovery" will also be used, proposing two tasks, also to be developed in the classroom. The first will correspond to the analysis of a set of published molecular data and its discussion, and the second to the analysis of two scientific articles on evolution in present-day humans, these being the starting point for the research of current bibliography on the subject, presentation of the group's points of view and discussion. These tasks will be carried out in groups of 2-3 students and will correspond, respectively, to 20% and 10% of the final grade. The acquisition of theoretical knowledge will be evaluated through a written test that will correspond to 30% of the final grade.
Bibliography
Bell G., 2015. The Evolution of Life. Oxford University Press.
Darwin C., 1873. The origin of species by means of natural selection: or, the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. 6th Edition. John Murray, London. John Murray, London.
Futuyma D.J., 2013. Evolution. Sinauer Associates.
Ridley M., 2003. Evolution, 3rd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell.