The course Evolution and Biodiversity II (Evolution und Biodiversität II) is taught in English and consists of two parts. The first part is an introduction to the field of population genetics and deals with the following topics: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, genetic linkage, genetic drift, gene flow, population subdivision, natural selection, adaptation and genetic survey techniques. Lab sessions in this first part of the course focus on problem solving and the analysis of population genetic data. The second part of the course is an introduction to divergence dating with molecular clock methods and historical biogeography with ancestral area reconstruction. This includes insights into paleobotany (fossil placement), geologic history (e.g. plate tectonics), and dealing with species distribution data. For the second part of the course, the students are expected to have a basic understanding of molecular phylogenetics on which the discussed methods rely. In the accompanying seminar, students will present recent research articles with relevant topics. Recommended literature: A. R. Templeton (2006), Population genetics and microevolutionary theory, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0471409510. P. Lemey, M. Salemi, A. Vandamme (2009), The Phylogenetic Handbook: A Practical Approach to Phylogenetic Analysis and Hypothesis Testing, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 9780521877107 close