34890 - Advanced Biological Evolution

Learning outcomes

The main goal of this course is to provide specific and updated knowledge in the field of Evolutionary Biology. Students will learn the "State of the Art" of the Theory of Evolution and will address targeted international researches on Evolution.

Course contents

Epistemology and Evolutionary Biology. The concept of Scientific Theory. Falsificationism. Occam's Razor.

Introduction to Evolutionary Biology. Applications. Proofs of Evolution. Homology.

Introduction to the Modern Synthesis. Origin of genetic variability. The population. Genetic structure of populations (Hardy-Weinberg, genetic drift, genetic flow). Natural selection and fitness. Examples of selection.

Species and species concepts. Reproductive isolation. Sibling species. Ring species. Clines. Models of speciation: allopatric, sympatric, stasipatric. Chromosomal speciation. Speciation by hybridization. Polyploidy, parthenogenesis, hybridogenesis, androgenesis.
Neutral theory. Molecular clock.

The selfish gene.

Punctuated equilibria. Mass extinctions. Burgess fauna.

Macromutations. Hox genes. EvoDevo (Evolutionary Developmental Biology).

Evolution of genes and genomes. The origin of new genes. Network theory. Gene networks. Mitochondrial genomics. Mitochondrial inheritance. Evolution and dynamics of the non-coding sequences. Evolutionary transcrittomics.

Origin and evolution of Life on Earth. Pre-biotic chemistry. The experiment of Miller. The "primordial soup" hypothesis and other hypotheses. The RNA world. First unicellular organisms. Archea. Procariota. Origin of Eukaryothes and the pluricellularity. Origin and evolutionary radiation of the principal animal Phyla.

Readings/Bibliography

Douglas J. Futuyma. L'evoluzione. Zanichelli.

Mark Ridley. Evoluzione. La storia della vita e i suoi meccanismi. Ed. McGraw-Hill

Teaching methods

During lectures, open discussions with the teacher will be strongly stimulated.

Assiduous participation to lessons is mandatory, given to the strict concatenation of the arguments.

Assessment methods

Oral exam; 6 times a year, distributed in three sessions and at least 20 days apart, so that eventual failures can be recovered within the same session.

Teaching tools

Lectures, with powerpoint presentations. Powerpoint presentations used during the lessons will be available to students.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Passamonti