Postgraduate Course: Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics (PGBI11087)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biological Sciences | 
College | College of Science and Engineering | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
Availability | Available to all students | 
 
| SCQF Credits | 10 | 
ECTS Credits | 5 | 
 
 
| Summary | This course covers the application of quantitative genetic analyses to key questions in evolutionary biology, with the aim of dissecting the processes of natural selection, microevolution within populations and the maintenance of genetic diversity. | 
 
| Course description | 
    
    Session Topic 
1. Fitness, the Price Equation, and the response to selection. Univariate measurement of natural selection for quantitative traits. 
2. Nonlinear and multivariate selection. 
3. Sexual selection. Heritability, genetic correlations, and multivariate phenotypic selection. 
4. Genomic approaches to studying microevolution. 
5. Social evolution: Multi-level selection and indirect genetic effects. 
6. Animal models. 
7. Senescence and ageing. 
8. Inbreeding and inbreeding depression. 
9. Effects of a variable environment: phenotypic plasticity, reaction norms, and genotype-by-environment interactions. 
10. Paper discussions. 
    
    
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Information for Visiting Students 
| Pre-requisites | None | 
 
		| High Demand Course? | 
		Yes | 
     
 
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1) 
  
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Quota:  None | 
 
| Course Start | 
Block 4 (Sem 2) | 
 
Timetable  | 
	
Timetable | 
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) | 
 
 Total Hours:
100
(
 Lecture Hours 10,
 Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
 Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
68 )
 | 
 
| Assessment (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) | 
One class test (60%) and one assignment (40%) | 
 
| Feedback | 
Not entered | 
 
| Exam Information | 
 
    | Exam Diet | 
    Paper Name | 
    Hours & Minutes | 
    
	 | 
  
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics | 1:30 |  |  
 
Learning Outcomes 
    On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
    
        - On successfully completing the course, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the use of quantitative genetic analyses to address key questions in evolutionary biology, and of their application to studies of domestic, laboratory and wild populations.
 -  They will have experience of the main software packages  used for estimating variance  components and inbreeding coefficients.
 
     
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | EQG | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Jacob Moorad 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5442 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Mrs Jennifer Morris 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5513 
Email:  | 
   
 
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