The course aims at providing students with basic information on the mechanisms of evolution, starting from the historical bases of evolutionary research up to concepts that are object of active, current scientific debate.

Origin of evolutionary principles: from the ancient Greece to Seven hundred. Eight hundred:  birth og the modern evolutionary thought. Darwin and Wallace: descendance with modification; the theory of natural selection. Modern Synthesys:  the neo-darwinism. Evolution today: the post-darwinism.
 
Evolution as a fact: evidences for evolution. Creationism and ‘intelligent design’.
 
The conceptual model of evolution: concept of adaptation, Convergence and parallelism. Sexual selection.
 
Population genetics: genetic variability and its measurement. Darwinian concept of fitness.
 
Evolution at various levels: molecular, genomic, phenotypical. Evo-Devo. Epigenetic heredity.
 
Species and speciation: several approaches to the species concept. Isolation mechanisms and models of speciation. Phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibria. Microevolution and macroevolution. Symbioses and coevolution. Evolutionary radiations and extinctions.
 
Evolution and phylogeny: cladistics or phylogenetic systematics. Methods for reconstructing phylogenies. Biological evolution of Homo sapiens.
 
Modern synthesys towards an extended evolutionary synthesys?

No propaedeutical courses are officially requested, even if the course arguments require the knowledge of elements of animal biology, vegetal biology, genetics and ecology.
 

D1- KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY 'OF UNDERSTANDING
The course aims at the acquisition of the historical bases of knowledge of the scientific thought related to biological evolution as well as of the mechanisms and processes of biological evolution at various levels.

D2-CAPACITY 'TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The student must acquire the ability to consider all biological questions in evolutionary terms, then applying the knowledge about the mechanisms of evolution even at the scale of specific interest for his/her scientific study.

D3- JUDGEMENT AUTONOMY
The student must show to use the knowledge obtained during the course to interpret accordingly, independently, the results of experimental studies or even biological broader issues.

D4- COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The student will be able to discuss capably about issues related to biological evolution. He/she will also show the ability to communicate the knowledge acquired in a clear and plain style understandable even to people not expert in the specific issue.

D5- 'LEARNING ABILITY
The student will be able to read and understand texts and scientific articles on specific topics, and use them for research purposes or targeted studies.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Workshops on specific evolutionary aspects will be planned in agreement with students.

Teaching

The course will be taught mainly through lectures, interactive as possible.

Slides of the course will be made available and educational and bibliographic materials will be provided, also in a foreign language, in electronic or printed form, for further self-training and exercises, followed by group discussion during lessons.

Seminars on specific topics will be held.

Attendance

No obligation.

Course books

Course text:
Ferraguti-Castellacci 2011. Evoluzione, modelli e processi. Pearson Italia, Milano-Torino.

Reference texts:
Ridley 2006. Evoluzione. La storia della vita e i suoi meccanismi. McGraw-Hill.
Kampourakis 2014. Understanding evolution. Cambridge Univ. Press.
 
Bibliographic and didactic material, also in foreign language, will be provided on hard and electronic support for studies in detail and self-training exercises.

Assessment

Oral examination on the arguments of the programme and/or discussion of a relation focussing a specific topic, subject to agreement with  the teacher.

 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Slides of the course will be made available and educational and bibliographic materials will be provided, also in a foreign language, in electronic or printed form, for further self-training and exercises, followed by group discussion during lessons.

Seminars on specific topics will be held.

Attendance

No obligation.

Course books

Course text:
Ferraguti-Castellacci 2011. Evoluzione, modelli e processi. Pearson Italia, Milano-Torino.
Reference texts:
Ridley 2006. Evoluzione. La storia della vita e i suoi meccanismi. McGraw-Hill.
Kampourakis 2014. Understanding evolution. Cambridge Univ. Press.
 
Bibliographic and didactic material, also in foreign language, will be provided on hard and electronic support for studies in detail and self-training exercises.
 

Assessment

Oral examination on the arguments of the programme and/or discussion of a relation focussing a specific topic, subject to agreement with  the teacher.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.