Prospectus

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Phylogeny and diversity of land plants and fungi

Course
2008-2009

The goal is to acquire basic knowledge of the modern insights in the taxonomic and morphological diversity and the phylogeny of land plants and fungi, and in the major evolutionary developments, especially with regard to cryptogamic plants and pollen. The following items will be discussed and demonstrated:
- Changing views on phylogenetic relations within the land plants and fungi
- Overview of morphological and taxonomic diversity and morphological characterization of the presently accepted main clades
- Present insights in and disputes over key innovations, and functional characterizations (adaptations)
- State of the art overview of the various uses by mankind of the taxa and of the applications of these fields of knowledge

Coordinator

Dr.M.Roos, email roos@nhn.leidenuniv.nl

Methods of instruction

Lectures, practicals, demonstrations, excursions, field observations and visits to the botanical garden. exercises, identifications, SEM-studies; study of representative material of the main taxa as well as identifications

Study material

Literature, reader

Examination

Reports (oral, written), drawings, examination

Course requirements/recommendations

Course Tree of Life of year 1 (demonstrations and relevant parts of Campbell); course Biodiversity and pattern analysis of year 2 or equivalent

Time table

Sept. 22-26: Mosses and Ferns
Sept. 29 – Oct. 2: Angiosperm pollen
Oct. 6-10: Fungi

Application

via registration form

Blackboard

Blackboard, interactive keys, power point presentations

Course objective

The goal is to gain basic knowledge of recently established phylogenetic lineages in the land plants and fungi and based thereon of essential understanding of modern insights in the morphological characterization, the origin and evolutionary development of the main clades and the angiosperm pollen.

Remarks

Language: Dutch (English in case foreign MSc-students participate).