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Course Description
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Course Name
Systematics and Macroevolution
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Host University
University of Cape Town
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Location
Cape Town, South Africa
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Area of Study
Biology
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Prerequisites
Course entry requirements: BIO2010F
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Course Level Recommendations
Upper
ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.
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Host University Units
36 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits6
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units9
Hours & Credits
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Overview
Course outline:
This course deals with the description and analysis of biodiversity and evolution at the species level and above. The course begins by considering the nature and definition of "species," the processes by which new species arise in nature (speciation), and the data and procedures employed in the practical discovery, naming and description of previously-undescribed species. Thereafter, the focus shifts to the inference of phylogenetic (evolutionary) relationships amongst species, with an emphasis on the data (morphological, molecular) and analytical methods (parsimony, likelihood, Bayesian) employed in phylogeny reconstruction. Following on from this, the utility of phylogenetic data in the study of macroevolution is explored, specifically in relation to the study of adaptation, key innovation, evolutionary radiation and molecular dating. Students will also be introduced to several key biodiversity initiatives including the Tree of Life Project and The Consortium for the Barcode of Life.
Course Disclaimer
Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.