Biology: Evolutionary Biology - Patterns and Processes

The course covers the aims, theories, models, and methods of modern evolutionary biology. You will learn how to establish the history of life through studies of DNA sequences, developmental biology, and traits of living organisms and fossils. The course will also provide a deep understanding of the evolutionary process. You will learn why natural selection gives rise to adaptation, what drives the evolution of new traits and biological diversity, and how the evolutionary process itself can change. Throughout the course, you will encounter many examples illustrating how various biological systems, models, methods, and data can reveal how evolution works. An evolutionary perspective can be applied at all levels of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems. The course will therefore be of interest to anyone who wants to understand living systems and learn more about the processes that have given rise to the diversity of life.

Upon completion of the course, you will have a solid understanding and skills in molecular and genome evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, and evolutionary ecology. Evolutionary biologists are particularly well-equipped to understand biological systems and solve problems that require collaboration across multiple scientific fields. The course is best combined with the course BIOR90, Evolutionary Biology: Methods and Applications.  

To understand evolution, knowledge of genomics, molecular and cell biology, developmental biology, and ecology is required. The course is divided into four modules. In the first module, you will learn how to establish relationships between species, what explains their distribution, and where and when new types of organisms arose. In the second module, you will learn how natural selection works, how it leads to adaptations, and how it contributes to differences between individuals, populations, and species. The third module focuses on understanding and establishing the genetic and developmental biological factors underlying evolutionary changes. You will learn how new traits, such as feathers or flowers, arise and whether organisms can become better at evolving. In the fourth module, you will learn how new species are formed and which factors influence diversification. The teaching promotes active learning, where the goal is to understand how evolutionary processes function. We take advantage of Lund University’s world-leading research in evolutionary biology of microbes, plants, and animals. You will learn by actively participating in lectures and group work, as well as studying and discussing course materials. A two-day field excursion will help you understand fossils and what they can teach us about the history of life and evolutionary processes.

Prerequisites

To be admitted to the course, students must have 90 credits in Natural Science studies, including 5 credits in statistics and 60 credits including genetics, cell biology, ecology and zoology/botany. A degree of Bachelor of Science. English 6/English B.

Selection criteria

Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens

Citizens of countries outside:

• The European Union (EU)
• The European Economic Area (EEA) and
• Switzerland

are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each
semester.

Tuition fees, payments and exemptions

Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 46,250
First payment: SEK 46,250

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Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.

Application fee

No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.