Objectives of Programme's Learning Outcomes

• Acquire, understand and use knowledge in the fields of biology and other fields
• Synthesise and summarise, in a critical way, information from scientific literature in different forms (textual, numerical, verbal and graphic)
• Solve issues relevant to biology
• Make accurate observations in the context of activities in the field and in the laboratory
• Analyse and interpret, in an appropriate way, biological data collected in natura, through dissection or based on an experimental protocol in the laboratory
• Apply a scientific approach and critical thinking
• Understand and apply the basic principles of reasoning (obtaining data, analysis, synthesis, comparison, rule of three, syllogism, analogy, etc.)
• Work with efficiency / accuracy / precision
• Present a hypothesis and hypothetical-deductive reasoning
• Develop critical thinking, test and monitor conclusions understanding the domain of validity, and explore alternative hypotheses
• Manage doubt and uncertainty
• Communicate effectively and appropriately in French and English
• Understand and summarise articles, websites and other scientific works in French and English
• Communicate in French, orally and in writing, the results of experiments and observations by constructing and using graphs and tables
• Develop autonomy, set training objectives and make choices to achieve them
• Organise time and work, individually and in groups
• Prioritise
• Manage stress regardless of events (exams, presentations, etc.)

Learning Outcomes of UE

- Explain and apply the Hardy-Weinberg model
- Explain and demonstrate that mutations are random in relation to their potential usefulness.
- Comparing artificial and natural selection
- For a gene represented by 2 alleles in a population, in a selection against the recessive homozygous, in favor of the recessive homozygous, against the heterozygous or in favor of the heterozygous: (1) calculating an absolute fitness, a relative fitness and a selection coefficient; (2) calculating the variation of the allelic frequencies in one generation; (3) estimating the allelic frequencies at equilibrium
- Describe and explain the mechanisms of microevolution (mutation, selection, consanguinity, migration, gene drift)
- Describe a simple model to simulate the evolution of allelic frequencies in a finite population (evolution by gene drift); justify the relevance of this model.
- Define, calculate and interpret the linkage disequilibrium between two loci, and predict its evolution over time, based on observed allelic and genotypic frequencies.
- Predict, including in a defined concrete case, the influence of each microevolution mechanism explored in the course, separately or in concert, on the evolution of allelic and genotypic frequencies by means of the Allele A1 software.
- Specify under what conditions a state of character can be considered as an adaptation and how it can be recognized
- Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction
- Explain what sexual selection is, where it comes from, and the forms it takes in females and males.
- Define and recognize an adaptive trade-off
- Calculate an individual's ability over several breeding seasons and use this calculation to compare breeding strategies.
- Explain the concept of indirect selection
- Calculate direct and indirect fitness (including in haplo-diploid species) and predict optimal breeding strategies under environmental conditions.
- Reading and interpreting a phylogenetic tree
- Rooting a phylogenetic tree after having identified the position of the root, for example by means of a species external to the group studied ("outgroup")
- Describe the theory of neutral molecular evolution, including the molecular clock hypothesis, and the arguments in favour of it.
- Define and simulate a genealogy of genes
- Describe the mechanisms that cause the evolution of genome size.
- Differentiate the level of organization that benefits from an adaptation from the level of organization on which the selection is made.
- Define and compare different species concepts. In a defined context, delimit a species according to the biological and phylogenetic concepts.
- Describe the mechanisms that can lead to the formation of new species.
- Differentiate between pre- and post-zygotic reproductive isolation. Explain the effect of natural selection on these two types of reproductive isolation, and their consequence on the process of speciation.
- Define a gene regulating development and to specify the role of these genes in the evolution of a lineage
- Show that developmental genes can be used to reconstruct certain events in the evolutionary history of living organisms.
- Define epigenetics and clarify its current place in the theory of evolution.
- Describe the value and limitations of R. Dawkins' small "Weasel" program.
- Interpret the results of an experiment on the evolution of artificial entities
- Describe and discuss the contribution of paleontological and genetic data in reconstructing the evolutionary history of the human lineage.
- Show that man is an animal and a monkey...
- Define, distinguish and identify the following scientific concepts: fact, theory, hypothesis, model, belief.
- Arguing the non-scientific nature of creationism
- Explain the evolution of the living without anthropomorphism and without finalism
 

Content of UE

- Darwin and natural selection: historical and epistemological approach to the birth of a scientific theory
- Population evolution : mechanisms and modelling
- Adaptation
- Species concepts, speciation and phylogeny
- Neutral evolution and genealogy
- Evolution of genomes
- Evo-devo and epigenetics
- Evolution in silico
- Evolution of the human lineage
- Conclusions

 

Prior Experience

Not applicable

Type of Assessment for UE in Q1

• Presentation and/or works
• Oral examination
• Written examination

Q1 UE Assessment Comments

The evaluation will be based on 3 scores:
P = evaluation of personal work and active participation in practice and exercise sessions
EE = written test
EO = oral exam
The final score will be = 0.3P + 0.3EE + 0.4EO

Type of Assessment for UE in Q3

• Oral examination
• Written examination

Q3 UE Assessment Comments

The evaluation will be based on 3 scores:
P = evaluation of personal work and active participation in practice and exercise sessions = Q1 score
EE = written test
EO = oral exam
The final score will be = 0.3P + 0.3EE + 0.4EO

Type of Resit Assessment for UE in Q1 (BAB1)

• N/A

Q1 UE Resit Assessment Comments (BAB1)

Not applicable