Our planet supports an incredible variety of life. In this module you will explore this life in its many forms, from unicellular microbes and fungi to multicellular plants and animals. You will learn how to use morphological and molecular traits to classify any species within the tree of life. Together we will explore some of the grand evolutionary history and processes that underlie this phylogeny. By the end of this module, you will understand how animals are thought to have first evolved, how to practically classify bacteria, how plants first colonised land, and you will have begun to address many unresolved fundamental biological questions.
Lectures 24 hours, Practicals 12 hours
Short Writing Piece: 1 set 8 problem solving questions worth 50%.
Extended Writing: Ecological and Zoological Field report (1500 words) worth 50%
Reassessment Method: Like for like
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1. Discuss the diversity of microbial life (bacteria, fungi unicellular and simple multicellular eukaryotes).
2. Explain plant structural and reproductive diversity and the colonisation of the land by plants.
3. Explain how animals are multicellular heterotrophic eukaryotes with tissues that develop from embryonic layers.
4. Apply fundamental ecological concepts in conservation biology.
5. Interpret experimental data collected on a range of organisms under defined laboratory conditions or in the field.
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