Admission requirements
The course is open for students that are enrolled in the Minor Biodiversity and have followed the first two courses. A minimum background on general concepts in biodiversity and overall evolutionary patterns are preferred.
Description
This six-week course Origins in Biodiversity integrates dimensions of biodiversity in various scales of space and time. The biodiversity that we see today has not always been like this. Many species have originated millions of years ago, and stem from ancestors that have gone extinct. Using examples from zoology, botany and palaeontology, we study the emergence and diversification (speciation/extinction) of biodiversity following different approaches and data (e.g., phylogenies, fossils). These historical processes will be linked to present-day patterns of biodiversity across different spatial scales: continents, regions or ecosystems. The module provides the theoretical background on the evolutionary processes behind these patterns. Particularly geographical, geological and evolutionary aspects are discussed. We will have hand-on practice with different data types (e.g., DNA, phylogeny) and taxonomic groups (e.g., microbes, fungi, cycads, mammals). You will learn how to communicate eco-evolutionary processes in an outreach video, and work in teams on case studies to tackle ongoing hypotheses in this field.
Course Objectives
After completion of the course students can:
1. Integrate taxonomic, genetic, morphological, spatial and temporal information to map and analyze biodiversity patterns in space and time.
2. Describe, explain and discuss the ecological and evolutionary processes that have shaped biodiversity at geological, historical and spatial scales.
3. Communicate the processes underlying the origin of biodiversity across scales to a lay audience using scientific video making.
4. Carry out an in-depth case study and critically discuss your findings with peers and experts.
Timetable
A detailed schedule will be provided on Brightspace before the start of the course.
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Lectures, practicals, demonstrations, fieldwork
Assessment method
The overall assessment comprises three parts:
Video for 20%;
Case study report 50%;
Case study presentation 30%.
Minimum grade:
Courses require a minimum, unrounded 5.5 grade to complete.
If a course has 2 or more written partial exams, the minimum grade only applies to the weighted average of the exams.
For partial grades from components other than exams (e.g. practicals, seminars, writing assignments), the bottom grade does apply to the individual components.
Please refer to the Student Charter for an overview of regulations.
Reading list
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to apply.
Contact
Course coordinator: Dr. Renske Onstein, Prof.dr. Paco Barona Gomez
Email: Renske.onstein@naturalis.nl; f.barona.gomez@biology.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
Brightspace will be used for communication and exchange of documents
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.