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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Biological Sciences : Plant Science

Undergraduate Course: Plant Evolution (PLSC10020)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Biological Sciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThe origin, diversification, speciation and domestication of flowering plants.
Course description This course considers the evolution of flowering plants, including their origin, diversification, speciation and domestication as crops. It integrates evidence from a wide range of disciplines, ranging from paleontology, through ecology and biogeography to genetics. Teaching is through a combination of short lectures, class discussions and seminars. There is extensive reading of both reviews and primary literature.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2019/20, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 33, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 63 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 25 %, Coursework 75 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Seminar presentation of paper (25%)
Six written summaries of papers «500 words (40%)
Questions on other student's written summaries (10%)
Exam - long answer question based on case study (25%)
Feedback Written feedback will be supplied for ICA and exam.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Appreciation of the diversity of flowering plants and the drivers behind this
  2. Understanding of the effects of domesticaton on plants and the history of major crops
  3. Understanding how breeding systems affect evolution
  4. Ability to dissect, criticise and present primary literature
  5. Construction and defence of hypothesis based on primary literature
Reading List
Recommended background texts:
Plant Variation and Evolution Briggs and Walters 1997
Speciation Coyne and Orr (2004)
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsPLSCPlaEvol
Contacts
Course organiserDr Catherine Kidner
Tel: (0131 6)51 3316
Email: Catherine.Kidner@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Louise Robertson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5988
Email: Louise.K.M.Robertson@ed.ac.uk
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