PLBIO 4470 - [Molecular Systematics]

Spring (offered alternate years). Next Offered: 2019-2020. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: BIOEE 1780 and BIOMG 2800 or BIOMG 3300, or BIOMG 3320, or BIOMG 3350 or written permission of instructor.

J.J. Doyle.

Theory and practice of using molecular evidence, particularly DNA sequence data, for addressing diverse systematic and evolutionary questions. Emphasis is on phylogeny reconstruction, particularly in eukaryotic systems. The organization and evolution of nuclear and organellar genomes is described from the standpoint of their suitability for systematic and evolutionary studies.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to explain the following fundamental molecular systematic concepts to scientists and to non-scientists, to apply them in their own research, and to evaluate diverse views of these concepts in the writings of others:

1) Homology as a general, overarching issue, including the concept of multiple hits, the theory of alignment of nucleotide and protein sequences, and the difference between paralogy and orthology

2) The basic theories of phylogeny reconstruction and the methods associated with them

3) The difference between gene trees and species trees