¹û¶³Ó°Ôº

This module is taught by researchers at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº, the Natural History Museum (NHM), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The aim of this module is to introduce students to some of the major and current topics in biodiversity, evolution and conservation science, as well as the key skills, techniques and methods that may be used to tackle the research projects in the MRes course. In this module, you will spend time at all three institutions, learning through a series of lectures, computer practicals, hands-on exercises, and class discussions.

Lectures start at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº where you will first learn about the basic principles governing the coexistence and movement of species in ecosystems and communities. Lectures will then move to the NHM where you will learn about phylogenetic methods, the use of environmental metagenomics for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystems, methods used to study the evolution of morphology through evolutionary time, and the study of ancient DNA. Lectures at ZSL will then introduce you to methods in conservation technology, including tracking devices, camera trapping, and acoustic monitoring, before returning to ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº to learn about ecological modelling.

The module has a strong computational focus, and through this you will gain valuable experience of statistical modelling using the ‘R’ programming language. Overall, the module aims to provide you with the key skills to tackle the research projects that you will undertake in terms 2 and 3 of the MRes course.