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Phylogeny and Evolution

A.Y. 2024/2025
6
Max ECTS
48
Overall hours
SSD
BIO/05
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide up-to- date knowledge about evolutionary relationship of the main animal taxa and critical competence to analyze phylogenetic trees.
Expected learning outcomes
The student will learn how to evaluate critically the reconstructions of phylogenetic trees. He will be able to evaluate new acquisitions in the field of animal phylogeny on the base of previous knowledge.

Lesson period: First semester

Lessons timetable

Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi

Exams calendar

Single course

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Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Pennati Roberta
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course program is articulated into two parts. During the first part, basal knowledge of cladistics systematic and principal methods for phylogenetic reconstruction will be recalled. In the second part, the evolutionary relationships among the principal animal taxa will be presented and critically discussed. Particular attention will be paid upon still debated groups.
Methods of cladistics systematic
Methods for phylogenetic reconstructions
The contribution of molecular biology to the systematic zoology
Theory of tree reconstruction
Origin of pluricellularity: choanoflagellates as possible progenitors of Metazoa
Cnidarians and their planula larvae: radiates or bilaterians?
The new phylogeny of Protostomes: Lofotrocozoa and Ecdisozoa.
Acquisition of bilateral symmetry: Platyhelminthes and the phylogenetic position of Acoela.
Mollusk phylogeny
Phylogenetic relationships among anellids, echiura, sipunculids and pogonophores.
The arthropods: reconsiderations on the phylogenetic position of myriapodes and insects.
The Deuterostomes: the ambulacraria taxon
The chordates: Tunicates and not Cephalochordates are the sister group of vertebrates
Vertebrate phylogeny: the position of petromizontes and missinoids.
Mammals' phylogeny. phylogenetic relationships among Primates.
A case of revision of evolutionary relationships: cetaceans and artiodactylans
Felids'phylogeny.
Character evolution in Chiroptera.
Prerequisites for admission
The student should have a basic knowledge of animal classification.
Teaching methods
Lessons will be conducted by projecting slides.
Teaching Resources
During the first lesson, some text books will be indicated that can be used to complete the preparation. Moreover the digital versions of the projected slides and of the papers exposed during the lessons will be at disposition of the students at ARIEL site.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination is oral and is divided into two parts. First part: the student is asked to explain a scientific paper, written in English and published in an international scientific journal. The paper should regard a topic of the program and can be chosen among those presented during the lessons. Evaluation criteria include: the capacity to clearly identify the problems, the methods and the proposed solutions. Part 2: the student is asked to critically expose a topic chosen by the examiner among those presented during the lessons. Evaluation criteria include: the degree of knowledge of the subject, the capability to communicate using appropriate expressions.
BIO/05 - ZOOLOGY - University credits: 6
Lessons: 48 hours
Professor: Pennati Roberta
Shifts:
Turno
Professor: Pennati Roberta
Professor(s)