Unit name | Palaeontology and Evolution Research Project |
---|---|
Unit code | EASC30073 |
Credit points | 30 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Dr. Cunningham |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
N/A |
Co-requisites |
N/A |
School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The unit aims to introduce students to:
In the first five weeks of the unit students will gain a general understanding of modern methods in macroevolutionary analysis through a series of lectures covering phylogenetic reconstruction, inference of divergence time and the comparative method. Practicals in these weeks will include how to use supercomputers (using a UNIX/LINUX shell interface) and how to use an array of standard software for data analysis (e.g. PAUP MrBayes Phylobayes).
Students will then meet with the instructor to agree a research topic.
Students will undertake an independent research project using publicly available data from Morphobank or GenBank, grounded on the practical and theoretical knowledge they accumulated in lectures and practicals. Students will research the agreed topic independently, obtain relevant publicly available data, and complete a series of appropriate analyses to test specific evolutionary hypotheses, as previously agreed with the instructor.
At a second supervisory meeting (drop-in session) students will present a bulleted point document describing the project write-up plan. Completion of the project will culminate in an oral presentation and a report of the project results in the style of a short scientific paper at the end of the unit.
Students will:
The unit will be taught through a combination of
Students who either begin or continue their studies in an online mode may be required to complete laboratory or field work, or alternative activities, in person, either during the academic year 2020/21 or subsequently, in order to meet the intended learning outcomes for the unit, prepare them for subsequent units or to satisfy accreditation requirements.
100% Coursework comprising:
10-minute presentation on students' research findings (20%)
Coursework comprises a written report of the project undertaken (2500 words; one figure with panels allowed) (80%)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC30073).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.