ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
List of courses
Choose 1 out of 4
Fossils and evolution
4 credits30hSpatial data
4 creditsSoil ecology and biogeochemical cycles
4 creditsEvolution of form: phylogenetic constraints, dev & fon
4 credits27h
Fossils and evolution
ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
30h
In this course, we will address the main theoretical concepts of evolutionary processes through the fossil record. We will discuss how to reconcile microevolutionary and macroevolutionary mechanisms. The concepts covered will be: species and intraspecific variability, speciation and the pace of evolution, adaptive radiation (ecological speciation) in the fossil record, targeted extinctions (migrant-native competition) or mass extinctions (major biological crises), evolutionary modalities (anagenesis and saltationism) observed in the fossil record, and a comprehensive review of microevolutionary mechanisms.
Spatial data
ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Time of year
Autumn
The objective of this resolutely transdisciplinary course is to provide students with the skills needed for the effective management and relevant use of data of various origins and types, particularly those with a spatial component. The course consists of three complementary and successive sections. The first addresses the challenges inherent in data compilation and the solutions provided by database management systems (DBMS): from database design to queries. The second focuses on geographic information systems (GIS): from cartographic representation to geoprocessing. Finally, the third axis presents the diversity of spatial analysis tools that enable the quantitative exploitation of spatial data, whether metrics or statistical tests.
Soil ecology and biogeochemical cycles
ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
The educational objective of this teaching unit is to reposition the major soil types on a global scale, explain their formation, and identify the mineral phases or main abiotic factors likely to regulate biological activity in soils. Based on this analysis, the various soil organisms (microorganisms, micro-, meso- and macrofauna) will be presented, along with their relationships, in order to reposition the cycle of organic matter and mineral elements in the soil at different temporal and spatial scales. The concepts of recycling, biogeochemical cycles and community assembly rules will also be addressed. This course unit is organized around lectures and conferences, as well as tutorials and fieldwork.
Evolution of form: phylogenetic constraints, dev & fon
ECTS
4 credits
Training structure
Faculty of Science
Hours per week
27h
"The objective is to analyze the phylogenetic, developmental, and functional constraints that may have governed the morphological changes observable in the fossil record. The phylogenetic approach will be addressed using reconstruction methods applicable to fossils (parsimony; cladistic analysis). Developmental and functional approaches (mainly odontology) will be illustrated by various methodologies developed on the Montpellier campus (in particular X-ray microtomography). A critical review of reference articles in the field will be followed by an oral presentation and a question-and-answer session."