BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY   Continental drift and glaciations   Theories of biogeography   Origin of flowering plants vs. mammals   Cladistic biogeography   Macroecology

BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY BCB 322 WEEKDATECONTENTPRACTICALS Tuesday 2-5; Thursdays 10:50-13:00 14 Feb Mon Lecture: IntroductionPRACTICAL PROJECT 7 Feb Thurs Lecture: Continental drift and glaciations 8 Feb Fri Lecture: The Age of the angiosperms 211 Feb Mon :30 Origin of the Angiosperms 14 Feb Thurs Lecture: Mammalian vs flowering plant geography 15 Feb Fri Lecture: Origin of the Cape flora

318 Feb Mon 830-9:30 Lecture: Research paper discussion: Fynbos PRACTICAL PROJECT 21 Feb Thurs Lecture: Tracking family histories (1) 22 Feb Fri Lecture: Tracking family histories (2) 425 Feb Mon 830-9:30 Lecture: Tracking family histories (3) 28 Feb Thurs Lecture: Molecular methods and Plant biogeography PRACTICAL PROJECT 29 Feb Fri Lecture: Test BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY

53 Mar Mon :30 Origin of Dinosaurs and mammals PRACTICAL PROJECT 6 Mar Thurs Endemism 7 Mar Fri Island biogeography 610 Mar Mon 830-9:30 Paper discussion on Island biogeography 13 Mar Thurs Latitudinal gradients and diversity 14 Mar Fri Body size and abundance relationships 717 Mar Mon 830-9:30 Body size and extinction rates 20 Mar Thurs Revision BIOGEOGRAPHY AND MACROECOLOGY

THEORY 2. CONTINENTAL DRIFT AND GLACIATIONS: 1. INTRODUCTION: Overview; course specifics Plate tectonics; Geographical and climatic timelines 3. THE AGE OF THE ANGIOSPERMSGeological and, paleo-ecological evidence, Gondwanan families Theories on origin of Angiosperms 4. ORIGIN OF THE ANGIOSPERMS: 5. ORIGIN OF THE CAPE FLORA:Origin of the Cape flora using track analysis; Gondwanan, African and Boreal tracks. 6. PAPER DISCUSSIONPlant diversity of the Cape Region of Southen Africa (Goldblatt & Manning (1997) 7. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (1): Plants, insects and Tetrapods a comparison Track analysis of Weevils 8. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (2):

9. TRACKING FAMILY HISTORIES (3): :Track analysis of Hominids 10. MOLECULAR METHODS AND BIOGEOGRAPHY:Dating floras using molecular methods: Phylica 11. ORIGIN OF DINOSAURS AND MAMMALS:Different phases in the origin and diversification 12. ENDEMISM: Factors driving endemism with examples 13. ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY: Equilibrium theory, immigration and extinction 14. PAPER DISCUSSION ON ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY Anagenetic evolution in island plants 15. LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS AND DIVERSITY: Quadrupedal animal diversity and plant productivity

16. GLOBAL PATTERNS AND SEED SIZE:Paper discussion 17. BODY SIZE AND ABUNDANCE RELATIONSHIPS: Relationship between body size and population abundance (size) 18. BODY SIZE AND EXTINCTION RATES: Relationship between body size and extinction rates RESEARCH TOPIC MONOTYPIC GENUS OR FAMILY Plant or animal (preferably a vertebrate) or (allowed to select a genus that has <5 spp.) and that has: some importance to science some biodiversity conservation situation an interesting history something interesting about it’s biology/ecology etc. For this topic I expect a fairly detailed literature review (books, articles and the web), you need to discuss in point form why the species you have chosen is unique/interesting/etc., and relevant aspects of it’s morphology, biology and/or ecology (and if you can incorporate some ideas from a colleague or other professional).

PRACTICAL PROJECT Select one plant species from the CFNR and confirm your choice with me. Then: Map the plant’s distribution in the Reserve using a GPS. Describe the plants habit, habitat, morphology, reproductive biology (this may be from the literature), its biogeographical history and anything else that you think is relevant Study the leaf anatomy focussing particularly on any special structural/functional features and illustrate these with suitable photographs of the epidermis, cross-sections, etc. The final results to be presented as a full report under headings: Aims, Introduction (and literature), materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions and references.

COURSE EVALUATION COURSE MARK = 100% COURSE WORK 60% TEST 15/60 (25%) 15/60 (25%) ISLAND BIOGEOGRARY EXERCISE 5/60 (8%) RESEARCH TOPIC 10/60 (17%) PRACTICAL/PROJECT 30/60 (50%) EXAMINATION 40%

SKILLS 1. ACCESS INFORMATION 2. READ SCIENTIFIC PAPERS 5. SCIENTIFIC METHOD 6. SCIENTIFIC REPORT WRITING 3. FIELD TECHNIQUES 4. LAB TECHNIQUES