Qualifikationsziele: After this course, students will have a better understanding of the historical and current limitations that still prevent us to fully grasp the elusive origin of flowering plants, and of the main developmental patterns and evolutionary trends which underlie the tremendous diversity of their reproductive structures, the flowers and fruits. They will also know how to search and critically read scientific literature to prepare a presentation on a topic of their choice but relevant to the class, and by providing (and receiving) constructive feed-back on the presentations of their classmates, appreciate the importance of the peer-review process in science. Inhalte: This course will introduce students to the main extant and extinct lineages of seed plants which could have a shared a common ancestor with flowering plants, and to the potential origin and homologies of the non-reproductive and the male and female floral organs. They will also learn about the main functions of the flower and production of fruits, and how these unqiue and defining features of the flowering plants may have played a major role in their diversification. In addition, students will also learn to analyse, describe, and study the structure of flowers and fruits, and based on their observations, to identify the main developmental patterns underlying their tremendous diversity, as well as their potential pollination and dispersal mechanimsms. Schließen