INSTRUCTORS
Lectures: | S. Roussiakis, Assoc. Prof. G. Lyras, Assoc. Prof. |
Lab. Training: | S. Roussiakis, Assoc. Prof. G. Lyras, Assoc. Prof. |
| eClass Webpage |
COURSE KEY ELEMENTS
LEVEL / SEMESTER: | EQF level 6; NQF of Greece level 6 / 7th |
TYPE: | Specific background, Skills development |
TEACHING ACTIVITIES - HOURS/WEEK - ECTS: | Lectures, Practical exercises, Fieldwork
2 hours of lecturing,
1 hour of practical exercises per week,
4 ECTS credit |
Prerequisites: | Υ2205 - Macropalaeontologyς [recommended]. |
Language of instruction and Assessment: | Greek(V.S.1 English) |
Availability to Erasmus+ Students: | YES in English |
COURSE CONTENT:
A. Lectures:
- What is evolution. Brief history of the development of the evolutionary thought.
- Basic principles of the Darwinian theory, natural selection.
- Basic principles of the Neodarwinian theory (Evolutionary Synthesis).
- Basic principles of Taxonomy, the Tree of Life.
- What is Phylogeny, methodology of the cladistics, cladograms.
- Events and trends in the evolutionary lines.
- Speciation and species concepts.
- Evolutionary changes, rate of evolution, models and results of the natural selection.
- The fossil record, microevolution and macroevolution. Mass extinctions.
- Taxonomy of the Primates.
- Haplorrhines, Catarhines.
- Hominidae. Most important stages of the hominid evolution (early Hominini, Australopithecines, Homo).
- Introduction to the human osteology, adaptations for bipedalism.
- The Greek primate record.
B. Practicaland Laboratory Exercises:
- Cladistic analysis based on palaeontological morphometric data.
- Exercises on selected evolutionary events (e.g., evolution of the Equids).
- Introductory exercises to the human anatomy. Recognition of the sex and the age based on the osteological and morphometric characters.
- Exercises based on the specimens of the Museum and recognition of the most important primate groups (lemurs, tarsiers, platyrhines, catarhines, homo). Recognition based on the anatomical characters.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES - TEACHING METHODS:
PLANNED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
| Activity | Student’s effort |
| Lectures | 26 hours |
| Laboratory exercises | 26 hours |
| Bibliographic exercises | 28 hours |
| Preparation for final Assessment | 20 hours |
| Total student effort | 100 hours |
ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA
The assessment process is conducted in Greek (there is the possibility of examination in English for Erasmus students).
Ι. THEORETICAL PART
- Written examination (50%).
ΙΙ. LABORATORY PART
- At the practical examination the students are evaluated on written exams (40%) and according to their results on the laboratory exercises and bibliographical exercises (10%).
RECOMMENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Suggested Literature:
- Ankel-Simons F. (2007). Primate Anatomy. An Introduction. Elsevier.
- Delson E., Tattersall I., Van Couvering J. A. & Brooks A.S. (2000). Encyclopedia of human evolution and prehistory. Garland Publishing.
- Fleagle J.G. (1998). Primate adaptation and evolution. Academic Press, 1-595.
- Futuyma D.J. (2005). Evolution. Sinauer Associates, 1-603.
- Lewin R. (2005). Human Evolution: An illustrated Introduction. Blackwell, Oxford, 1-277.
- Skelton P. (1993). Evolution. A biological and palaeontological approach. 1-1064.
Additionally, to the students are available publications (PDFs) especially in subjects that concern the primate fossil record of Greece as well as subjects that are focused on the evolutionary theory and evolutionary palaeontology.
1 V.S.: Visitor Students (e.g. ERASMUS)