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Lecturer(s)
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Matysioková Beata, Mgr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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The course provides a chronological overview of the evolutionary history of animals on Earth, from the emergence of the earliest animal lineages to the present-day diversity of the animal kingdom. Individual geological periods will be examined in the context of their prevailing climatic and environmental conditions and the associated changes in the composition and structure of animal communities. Particular emphasis will be placed on the origin, diversification, and evolutionary trajectories of major animal lineages, as well as on their responses to changing environmental conditions. The course will address major evolutionary innovations, including the emergence of novel morphological, ecological, and behavioural adaptations, the colonization of new environments, and major transitions in the evolutionary history of animals, such as the diversification of early metazoans and the transition from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. Major episodes of faunal turnover, decline, and extinction will also be considered, with particular attention to the major mass extinction events, their proposed causes, and their consequences for subsequent evolutionary diversification. For each geological period, changes in faunal composition will be considered in terms of the emergence, diversification, decline, and extinction of major groups, as well as the evolutionary innovations underlying their ecological expansion. The course thus presents animal evolution as a dynamic historical process resulting from the interaction of evolutionary processes with geological, climatic, and environmental change.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Lecture, Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training)
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Learning outcomes
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The aim of the course is to introduce students to the major stages in the historical evolution of animals, from the emergence of the earliest animal lineages to the present-day diversity of the animal kingdom. The course places animal evolution within the context of geological time and focuses on the relationships between evolutionary change and changes in the climatic, geological, and environmental conditions of Earth. Particular emphasis is placed on the origin, diversification, and changing evolutionary trajectories of major animal groups, as well as on major evolutionary innovations and transitions that shaped their subsequent diversification and ecological expansion. Attention is also given to changes in faunal composition across geological periods, including periods of major radiation, decline, and extinction. The course also introduces students to the major mass extinction events, their proposed causes, and their significance for subsequent evolutionary diversification. Emphasis is placed on understanding the relationships between evolutionary processes, environmental change, and long-term patterns in animal diversity and distribution. The overall aim is to provide students with an integrated understanding of animal evolution as a dynamic historical process and to highlight the major patterns and trends that have shaped animal diversity throughout geological time
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: demonstrate an understanding of the major stages in the evolutionary history of animals and the geological time scale; characterize major changes in faunal composition across individual geological periods; place major animal groups and evolutionary innovations within the broader context of their historical development; explain the significance of major evolutionary radiations and mass extinction events for the subsequent evolution and diversification of animals; relate evolutionary changes in animal faunas to climatic, geological, and environmental changes; interpret long-term patterns and processes in animal evolution and diversification.
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Prerequisites
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Students should have a basic knowledge of general zoology, evolutionary biology, and animal systematics. They are expected to be familiar with basic biological terminology and to understand the fundamental principles of biological evolution, diversification, and phylogenetic relationships. A basic understanding of the geological time scale and the major geological periods is also expected.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Written exam
Students are expected to acquire the knowledge covered in the lectures on an ongoing basis and to develop a basic understanding of the geological time scale. They should be able to relate major evolutionary events, significant animal groups, and major changes in faunal composition to the appropriate geological periods.
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Recommended literature
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Donald Prothero. . Bringing fossils to life. An introduction to paleobiolog. Columbia university press.
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Roček Z. (2002). Historie obratlovců. Evoluce, fylogeneze, systém. Praha.
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