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BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY. Continental drift and glaciations. Theories of biogeography. Origin of flowering plants vs. mammals. Cladistic biogeography. Macroecology. BCB 322. BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY. BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY. BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY.
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BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY • Continental drift and glaciations • Theories of biogeography • Origin of flowering plants vs. mammals • Cladistic biogeography • Macroecology
BCB 322 BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY
1. INTRODUCTION: Overview; course specifics Plate tectonics; Geographical and climatic timelines 2. CONTINENTAL DRIFT AND GLACIATIONS: 3. THE AGE OF THE ANGIOSPERMS Geological and, paleo-ecological evidence, Gondwanan families Theories on origin of Angiosperms 4. ORIGIN OF THE ANGIOSPERMS: 5. ORIGIN OF THE CAPE FLORA: Origin of the Cape flora using track analysis; Gondwanan, African and Boreal tracks. 6. PAPER DISCUSSION Plant diversity of the Cape Region of Southen Africa (Goldblatt & Manning (1997) 7. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (1): Plants, insects and Tetrapods a comparison 8. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (2): Track analysis of Weevils THEORY
10. MOLECULAR METHODS AND BIOGEOGRAPHY: Dating floras using molecular methods: Phylica 11. ORIGIN OF DINOSAURS AND MAMMALS: Different phases in the origin and diversification Factors driving endemism with examples 12. ENDEMISM: 13. ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY: Equilibrium theory, immigration and extinction Anagenetic evolution in island plants 14. PAPER DISCUSSION ON ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY 9. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (3):: Track analysis of Hominids Quadrupedal animal diversity and plant productivity 15. LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS AND DIVERSITY:
RESEARCH TOPIC MONOTYPIC GENUS OR FAMILY Plant or animal (preferably a vertebrate) or (allowed to select a genus that has <5 spp.) and that has: some importance to science some biodiversity conservation situation an interesting history something interesting about it’s biology/ecology etc. For this topic I expect a fairly detailed literature review (books, articles and the web), you need to discuss in point form why the species you have chosen is unique/interesting/etc., and relevant aspects of it’s morphology, biology and/or ecology (and if you can incorporate some ideas from a colleague or other professional). 16. GLOBAL PATTERNS AND SEED SIZE: Paper discussion Relationship between body size and population abundance (size) 17. BODY SIZE AND ABUNDANCE RELATIONSHIPS: 18. BODY SIZE AND EXTINCTION RATES: Relationship between body size and extinction rates
PRACTICAL PROJECT Select one plant species from the CFNR and confirm your choice with me. Then: Map the plant’s distribution in the Reserve using a GPS. Describe the plants habit, habitat, morphology, reproductive biology (this may be from the literature), its biogeographical history and anything else that you think is relevant Study the leaf anatomy focussing particularly on any special structural/functional features and illustrate these with suitable photographs of the epidermis, cross-sections, etc. The final results to be presented as a full report under headings: Aims, Introduction (and literature), materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions and references.
SKILLS 1. ACCESS INFORMATION 2. READ SCIENTIFIC PAPERS 3. FIELD TECHNIQUES 4. LAB TECHNIQUES 5. SCIENTIFIC METHOD 6. SCIENTIFIC REPORT WRITING