Lehre zur Biodiversität der Tiere (Master)

OEP-M1 Animal Biodiversity and Evolution

A weekly lecture will explain the phylogeny and evolution of multicellular animals and of the functional constrains that governed their evolution. A second weekly lecture will introduce into plant diversity and evolution. During a field trip prior to the lectures the students will learn how to work with species, how to systematically analyze them and how to identify them. The lecture is accompanied by exercises in which the morphology of selected animals and plants is studied.

The module aims at providing an overview of the current phylogenetic relationships among plants and animals, it introduces into animal and plant diversity, and it trains in systematics, species identification and assessment of literature sources.

The module consist of lectures, practicals, and seminars. Our courses cover largely the response of animals and plants to environmental constraints, introduces into terrestrial and marine ecosystems, climate, population and community ecology as well as the theory of evolution and the role of natural and sexual selection during evolution. The lectures on phylogenetics and Paleobiology provide insight into the ancient situation of our planet, extinct ecosystems, animal and plant groups and mass extinctions. The application of cladistics in phylogenetic systematics and on inferences of character evolution is improved in exercises.

OEP-M3 Scientific Communication

Students train the practice and theory of communication in the evolutionary sciences, they learn how to write abstracts and publications and how to design posters and presentations.
Different ways to communicate in science, including talks, abstracts, papers, reviews, and the use of social and public media are taught and trained.

OEP-A07 Histology, Tomography, and Computer-aided 3D Reconstruction of Animal Anatomy

This course demonstrates how characters of metazoan internal anatomy can be explored for phylogenetic analyses. The main objectives are to understand how tomographic imaging techniques are employed, how histological sections are produced and interpreted, how 3D models of internal organs are generated, how digital data can be publicly archived, and how anatomical studies can contribute to reveal phylogenetic relationships among metazoan taxa.
Lectures provide the theoretical background for digital imaging and histological techniques, long-term data deposition, and computer-aided image processing.

OEP-A09 Application of Immunohistochemistry in Invertebrate Systematics

This course provides an introduction to techniques for studying the early development of muscular and nervous systems in invertebrates by confocal Laserscanning Microscopy (cLSM). Project-based lab work includes fixation techniques and processing of fixed tissues for antibodystaining and fluorescent dyes, followed by cLS-Microscopy. The lecture provides theoretical background on the techniques, on data processing into 3D-representations, and on the use of developmental data in phylogenetic systematics. Main objectives are to learn how immuno- and fluorescent stainings are interpreted, which kind of information on organogenesis can be obtained from such studies, and how data on organogenesis contribute to phylogenetic questions.

OEP-A10 Application of Electron Microscopy in Invertebrate Systematics

Organs of developmental and larval stages are often regarded as highly conserved within animal evolution. Therefore, their morphology and development exert an important influence on phylogenetic hypotheses regarding high-ranking taxa like the Spiralia. On the other hand, structural features of larvae and developmental stages can often only be elucidated by ultrastructural investigations. The course provides an introduction into electron microscopical techniques, focusing on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and including tissue preparation and ultrathin sectioning methods. Additionally, students will learn to interpret electron microscopical data and will gain insights into the ultrastructure of larval organ systems.

OEP-A11 Practical Course on Electron Microscopy

The course will be focusing on practical approaches in electron microscopy. Students will investigate cells and tissues as well as surface structures with the aid of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Participants will work in groups on a short research project. They will conduct the sample preparation, data generation and interpretations on these projects. This will enable them to compare the ultrastructure of different tissues and structures through several invertebrate taxa. Students will document their results as micrographs and scientific illustrations/reconstructions.

OEP-A12 DNA Barcoding: Identifying and Describing Biodiversity

This module will give an overview into different species concepts, and the use of modern molecular tools for identifying and describing animal species. Examples from current literature will be discussed and presented. The students will learn how to use online DNA databases and how to generate their own DNA sequence data in the lab. Sequences will be analysed by the students using different species delimitation methods and phylogenetic tools. Furthermore, distribution and geographic range of species will be explored using haplotype networks and phylogeographic approaches. The students will analyze a dataset of their own to gain hands-on experience in DNA-Barcoding.

OEP-B04 Behavioural Ecology Theory

Ecology determines how behaviour contributes to survival and reproduction of an organism. Behavioural Ecology studies the evolution of adaptive behaviour in an ecological context. It thus studies the function or survival value of behaviour. The following topics will be treated in two consecutive weekend seminars:
Seminar 1 "basics": Causal and Functional Explanations of Behaviour, Testing Hypotheses, Economic Decisions, Competing for Resources, Evolutionary Arms Races, Sexual Conflict and Sexual Selection, Alternative Breeding Strategies, Aggressive Behaviour, Living in Groups, Parental Care and Mating Systems, Selfishness, Altruism and Cooperation, Helping Behaviour.
Seminar 2 "advanced": the students present and discuss a timely topic in Behavioural Ecology like “mate choice and sexual selection", “sperm competition", "visual signals and sexual selection", "kin recognition", "parasite-host coevolution".

OEP-B17 Evolution, Diversity, and Biology of Arthropods

Arthropods (insects, myriapods, crustaceans, arachnids) are the most diverse animal group on our planet containing three quarters of all known species. This module aims to give students a general overview of the evolution and diversity of arthropods with a combination of field excursions and lab work. In particular, students will learn:

• How to collect, dissect and conserve/mount arthropods
• How to identify major arthropod lineages and species
• How to extract morphological characters and to infer differences between different character states with computer-tools (morphometrics)

Based on self-collected material and additional specimens the students will study the external morphology of selected taxa with light- microscopic methods to gain a deeper understanding of arthropod taxonomy. The module will also focus on phylogenetic systematics based on morphology with example data. The field excursions around Bonn will also serve to gain a deeper understanding of ecological niches of selected arthropod species (mainly millipedes and insects).

OEP-B28 Experimental Behavioural Ecology

Based on recent research papers presented by the students during the opening seminar, interesting research ideas will be critically discussed with the group and hypotheses are developed for experiments that can be conducted by the students within the course. Little experiments will be planned by the students. As experimental animals, sticklebacks, cichlids and gammarids are available. Numerous topics are offered including social behaviour (shoaling), inter- and intrasexual selection (mating behaviour), parasitehost-interactions (parasitic behavioral manipulation). In groups of 2 students, the experiments will be conducted, the data collected and statistically analysed (including advanced statistical methods using “R”).
Experimental protocols will be prepared with special focus on experimental design and procedure and (graphical) presentation of the results. In the final seminar, the results will be presented by the students in form of a short talk or poster.

OEP-B29 Genomics of Behaviour

The seminar will provide background knowledge in connecting genomics and behavioural approaches. The students will gain insights in how to use these to shed light on the genomic fundamentals of behaviour in different groups of animals. Based on recent scientific papers, students will present and discuss timely topics in behavioural genomics.

OEP-B30 Advanced Course in Combining Field and Lab Techniques and Methods in Organismic Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Paleobiology

The module deals with specific topics in the laboratory and in the field of evolution, phylogenetics, biogeography or visualization of structures as well as for modeling evolutionary processes and the relationships between structure and function.

Aim of the module is the proper design of field work for standardized data acquisition for advanced statistical analyses, modelling, visualization of structures, biodiversity and population analyses.

OEP-C05 Biodiversity of the rocky shore of Britanny

Students will study the biodiversity of the fauna of the intertidal zone in Roscoff intensively with (Brittany) during an 10-day field trip. Various habitats (rocky mudflats, sandflats, mudflats, etc.) are sampled and the fauna of each site is taxonomically analysed in the laboratory of the Station Biologique de Roscoff.

OEP-C16 Advanced Field Methods in Organismic Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Paleobiology

The module deals with specific topics in the field of paleontology, phylogenetics, biogeography, monitoring, and the relationship between organism and environment. The aim of the course is to learn proper design of field work for standardized data acquisition for advanced statistical analyses, modelling, visualization of structures, biodiversity and population analyses. The module may include laboratory components with less than 50% of the invested time.