| Unit name | Flowering Plants |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL31131 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18) |
| Unit director | Professor. Hiscock |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites | |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Flowering plants are the most important and most speciose group of land plants. This unit will describe the diversity and biology of flowering plants within an evolutionary and phylogenetic context to assess reasons for the extraordinary success of this group of plants. Specific areas to be addressed will include: 1) the origins and evolution of flowering plants, paying particular attention to the evolution of the flower; 2) 'key innovations' of angiosperms - the flower, double fertilization, endosperm and the pollen-pistil interaction; 3) key aspects of the reproductive biology of angiosperms, including flower development, male (pollen) and female (embryo sac/ovule) development, pollen-pistil interactions and fertilization; 4) angiosperm breeding systems (outbreeding, selfing and apomixis); 5) pollination systems, plant-pollinator interactions and the role of flower-pollinator co-evolution in the adaptive radiation of angiosperms; 6) modes of speciation in angiosperms; 7) the evolution of crop plants and crop improvement. The unit will conclude with a synthesis of current opinion on flowering plant evolution and diversification.
The students will gain an understanding of the diversity and biology of flowering plants. Some grounding will be given in plant phylogenetics and systematics. Students will be introduced to new studies which integrate evolutionary biology and developmental genetics – ‘evo-devo’ – specifically within the context of flower evolution. Students will also gain a detailed understanding of aspects of the reproductive development and reproductive biology of flowering plants. The adaptive evolution of flowering plants will be discussed in relation to their reproductive biology and their interrelationships with pollinators.
3 x 1 hour weekly lectures.
End of Session exam (100%).
Recently updated reading lists are distributed to students at the start of the unit.
