Evolutionary Ecology

Objectives of the course (preferably expressed in terms of learning outcomes and competences): The course is designed as an introduction to Molecular Ecology, a relatively new discipline that studies the relationships between natural history, genetics, and evolution.

Course contents: The subject area currently encompass a wide range of research topics including population and evolutionary genetics, phylogenetics, phylogoegraphy, comparative phylogeography, conservation biology, the identification and assessment of species diversity, and the release of genetically modified organisms into the environment. Topics will include a survey of methods for studying genetic variation at the protein and DNA levels and the application of molecular genetic markers to research questions related to natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift, and non-random mating.