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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Biological Sciences : Postgraduate

Postgraduate Course: Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics (PGBI11087)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Biological Sciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course covers the application of quantitative genetic analyses to key questions in evolutionary biology, with the aim of dissecting the processes of natural selection, microevolution within populations and the maintenance of genetic diversity.
Course description Session Topic
1. Fitness, the Price Equation, and the response to selection. Univariate measurement of natural selection for quantitative traits.
2. Nonlinear and multivariate selection.
3. Sexual selection. Heritability, genetic correlations, and multivariate phenotypic selection.
4. Genomic approaches to studying microevolution.
5. Social evolution: Multi-level selection and indirect genetic effects.
6. Animal models.
7. Senescence and ageing.
8. Inbreeding and inbreeding depression.
9. Effects of a variable environment: phenotypic plasticity, reaction norms, and genotype-by-environment interactions.
10. Paper discussions.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites It is RECOMMENDED that students also take Quantitative Genetic Models (PGBI11085)
Students MUST also take: Population and Quantitative Genetics (PGBI11001)
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Block 4 (Sem 2)
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 10, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 68 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) One Exam (60%)
One formative assignment 0%
Three assessed assignments: 10% ; 15%; 15% (Total 40%)
Feedback Not entered
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics1:30
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate an understanding of the use of quantitative genetic concepts to address key questions in evolutionary biology relating to the study of natural populations
  2. draw upon skills relating to software used to estimate relevant quantitative genetic parameters
  3. demonstrate their familiarity with the relevant primary scientific literature
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsEQG
Contacts
Course organiserDr Jacob Moorad
Tel: (0131 6)50 5442
Email: Jacob.Moorad@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Jennifer Morris
Tel: (0131 6)50 5513
Email: jennie.morris@ed.ac.uk
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