ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND GENETIC MONITORING

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Academic Year of enrolment:

2019/2020

Type of Course:

Characterising

Optional/Mandatory:

Compulsory

Degree:

Master's Degree Programme in EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED BIOLOGY

Disciplinary Sector:

ZOOLOGY

Language:

Italian

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

SCANDURA Massimo

Hours of classroom activity:

Prerequisites:

Basic knowledge of animal biology and genetics

AF code:

A001939

Assessment Methods

Verification of learning:

Written test on the initial part of the programme and final oral examination

Teaching period

Second semester

Objectives

At the end of the course, the student will know the main aspects of animal diversity, with special focus on Vertebrate systematics, their phylogenetic relationships and the major adaptations that characterized their evolution. Skills acquired by the students will also include the monitoring of animal biodiversity by the use of genetic techniques. This part of the course includes practical trainings (in class and in laboratory) so to allow the student to acquire skills on the achievement and processing of genetic data deriving from sampling of natural populations of animal species.

Contents

The course comprehends the following subjects:
- Animal biodiversity: origin, value and main threats
- Evolution and systematics of Vertebrates: description of the different classes, main adaptations and phylogenetic relationships
- Assessment of animal population status by genetic monitoring
- Sampling, genetic analysis and data processing.
Lab activities on genetic monitoring of animal populations.
Practical training on statistical analysis of genetic data.
Through these educational experiences the student will allow to know the diversity of Vertebrates and its evolution, to learn the methods to monitor such diversity in nature. This will provide the student with the base knowledge to define experimental protocols for genetic monitoring of populations and the implementation of adequate investigation approaches and innovative technologies.

Recommended Bibliography

- ITA: Sadava et al. (2014) Biologia: L'evoluzione e la biodiversità. 4a edizione. Zanichelli.
- ENG: Sadava et al. (2014) LIFE: The Science of Biology. 10th Edition.
- ITA: Fondamenti di genetica della conservazione - Briscoe D.A., Ballou J.D., R. Frankham (2007) Zanichelli
- ENG: Introduction to Conservation Genetics – Frankham R., Ballou J.D., Briscoe D.A. (2010) 2nd edition.
The slides and other materials used during the course will be available online on the Moodle platform.

Methods of Provision

Conventional

Teaching Methods

Classroom lectures with power-point presentations.
Laboratories of animal population genetics. Excursions in the field for wildlife observation.

Contacts/More Information

Lecturer's contacts:
Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria
Via Vienna 2 SASSARI
Tel. 079 228628
e-mail: scandura@uniss.it

Offered services:
- individual assistance for foreign or disabled students (available to agree on modality and timing of course attendance and exam)
- copies of textbooks and electronic material in english
- possibility to take the exam in english

ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND GENETIC MONITORING

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Course year: 2

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ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND GENETIC MONITORING