[Taxacom] PhD course offered: Phylogenetic Systematics and Molecular Dating

[Nikolaj Scharff]

PHYLOGENTIC SYSTEMATICS AND MOLECULAR DATING - JANUARY 2011 

The aim of the course is to teach Ph.D. students the theory and methodology of phylogenetic systematics, alignment, and molecular dating. The following subjects will be covered: 

Phylogenetic theory 
Characters and character coding 
Tree building techniques 
Tree statistics and tree support 
Character tracing and character manipulation 
Character weighting 
Partitioned versus combined analysis 
Bayesian inference 
Maximum Likelihood 
Alignment 
Molecular Dating

Various tree building programs (e.g., MrBayes, POY, and TNT), programs for manipulating data and trees (e.g., MacClade and Mesquite) will be demonstrated and used. Lectures will alternate with practical exercises. 

The course is preferentially for Ph.D. students; hence, biological knowledge corresponding to a M.Sc. is normally required. Admission to the course is highly competitive and approximately 18 students are admitted from a large group of applicants. 

Prior knowledge of phylogenetics corresponding to e.g., Schuh, T. and Brower, A.V.Z. 2009. Biological Systematics. Principles and Applications. 2nd Ed. (Cornell University Press), is essential. 

There is a tuition fee of 4,000 DKK (525 €), for Ph.D.-students not matriculated at a Danish University. 

DURATION: Two weeks

DATES: 17-28 January 2011

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 1 November 2010 

LOCATION: Department of Biology, Universitetsparken 15, DK - 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

EVALUATION:  Evaluation will be on the basis of active participation and successful completion. 7.5 ECTS.

TEACHERS:  Johan Nylander, Department of Botany, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Niklas Wahlberg, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland; Gitte Petersen, Ole Seberg, Nikolaj Scharff and Thomas Pape from the Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen. 

ACCOMODATION: Must be arranged on an individual basis, see www.visitcopenhagen.dk 

CONTACT PERSONS:

Ole Seberg, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Sølvgade 83 S, 
DK-1307 Copenhagen K
Fax: +45 35 32 21 55. E-mail: oles at snm.ku.dk

and 

Nikolaj Scharff, Natural History Museum of Denmark, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø 
Fax: +45 35 32 10 10. E-mail: nscharff at snm.ku.dk

where further information may also be obtained. 

Application form:  http://snm.ku.dk/uddannelser/kurser/phylogenetic/


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nikolaj Scharff, PhD
Associate Professor and Curator of Arachnida
Department of Entomology
Natural History Museum of Denmark
Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen
Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen
DENMARK

Tel: +45 35321107  Email: nscharff at snm.ku.dk

President of the International Society of Arachnology: http://www.arachnology.org/
Personal webpage: http://snm.ku.dk/people/nscharff
Arachnid section webpage: http://www.zmuc.dk/entoweb/arachnology/index.html
ATOL Phylogeny of Spiders: http://research.amnh.org/atol/files/
Associate Editor (Arachnida) for Zoological Journal of the Linnean Socity: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0024-4082&site=1
Editor for Invertebrate Systematics: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/120.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------