Gregory Velicer: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021

Name	Prof. Dr. Gregory Velicer
Field	Evolutionary Biology
Address	Professur f. Evolutionsbiologie ETH Zürich, CHN K 11 Universitätstrasse 16 8092 Zürich SWITZERLAND
Telephone	+41 44 632 88 00
E-mail	gregory.velicer@env.ethz.ch
URL	https://evo.ethz.ch
Department	Environmental Systems Science
Relationship	Full Professor

Number	Title	ECTS	Hours	Lecturers
701-0245-00L	Evolutionary Analysis	2 credits	2V	S. Wielgoss, G. Velicer
Abstract	This course introduces important questions about the evolutionary processes involved in the generation and maintenance of biological diversity across all domains of life and how evolutionary science investigates these questions.
Objective	This course introduces important questions about the evolutionary processes involved in the generation and maintenance of biological diversity across all domains of life and how evolutionary science investigates these questions. The topics covered range from different forms of selection, phylogenetic analysis, population genetics, life history theory, the evolution of sex, social evolution to human evolution. These topics are important for the understanding of a number of evolutionary problems in the basic and applied sciences.
Content	Topics likely to be covered in this course include research methods in evolutionary biology, adaptation, evolution of sex, evolutionary transitions, human evolution, infectious disease evolution, life history evolution, macroevolution, mechanisms of evolution, phylogenetic analysis, population dynamics, population genetics, social evolution, speciation and types of selection.
Literature	Textbook: Evolutionary Analysis Scott Freeman and Jon Herron 5th Edition, English.
Prerequisites / Notice	The exam is based on lecture and textbook.
701-0290-01L	Seminar in Microbial Evolution and Ecology (FS)	0 credits	2S	G. Velicer
Abstract	Seminar of the Institute of Integrative Biology.
Objective	Seminar of the Institute of Integrative Biology
701-1461-00L	Ecology and Evolution: Seminar Direct continuation of course unit 701-1460-00L "Ecology and Evolution: Term Paper" of the previous semester (HS).	3 credits	6S	T. Städler, J. Alexander, S. Bonhoeffer, T. Crowther, A. Hall, J. Jokela, J. Payne, G. Velicer, A. Widmer
Abstract	The organization and functioning of academic research as well as academic publishing are introduced and applied: students critically review two term papers written by their student colleagues. Based on the reviews, the authors of the papers write reply letters and revise their own term papers. They finally present their topic during an in-house "mini-conference" with a talk.
Objective	• Students become familiar with the academic peer-review and publishing process • They learn to evaluate the quality of a manuscript and formulate constructive criticism • They learn to deal with criticism of their own work (by their student peers) • They practise oral presentations and discussions in English
Content	The organization and functioning of academic research as well as academic publishing are introduced and applied: students critically review two term papers written by their student colleagues. Based on the reviews, the authors of the papers write reply letters and revise their own term papers. They finally present their topic during an in-house "mini-conference" with a talk.
Lecture notes	none
Prerequisites / Notice	Direct continuation of "Ecology and Evolution: Term Paper" of the previous semester
701-1480-00L	Evolutionary Developmental Biology Number of participants limited to 24. Waiting list will be deleted after 05.03.2021.	3 credits	1S	M. La Fortezza, G. Velicer
Abstract	Students will be introduced to fundamental concepts and current open questions in the field of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) primarily through reading, analysing and jointly discussing key literature.
Objective	The course aims to expose students to major conceptual themes of the Evo-Devo field through discussion of key papers and to active areas of current Evo-Devo research. At the end of the course, students should be able to present, think critically about and discuss key Evo-Devo concepts.
Content	Evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) is a multidisciplinary field that studies the interplay between developmental and evolutionary processes. Major questions include: How do developmental systems evolve and diversify? Do developmental programs influence their own future evolution, and how? How does ecology affect the evolution of developmental programs, and vice versa? Fascinating and experimentally challenging, Evo-Devo first empirically emerged from comparative embryology. However, in recent decades this discipline has grown considerably to interconnect with many other fields, from genetics to sociobiology to microbiology. The course will examine questions such as those above and touch on the ongoing inter-disciplinary integration of Evo-Devo, including its interface with ecology (“Eco-Evo-Devo”) and the integration of aggregative microbial developmental systems into the field.
Literature	Relevant literature: Müller, G. (2007). Evo–devo: extending the evolutionary synthesis. Nature Reviews Genetics 8, 943-949. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrg2219 Abouheif, E., et al (2014). Eco-evo-devo: the time has come. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 781, 107-25. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7347-9_6 Moczek, A et al (2015). The significance and scope of evolutionary developmental biology: a vision for the 21st century. Evolution & development 17, 198-219. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ede.12125 Gilbert, S. (2019). Evolutionary transitions revisited: Holobiont evo‐devo. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution 12, 117762501877479 - 8. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.22903
Prerequisites / Notice	Significant basic knowledge in especially evolutionary biology and developmental biology, and also cell biology and genetics, will be advantageous for readily understanding the course material.