PRACTICAL COURSE: Students will learn how to generate NGS sequence data and develop trait matrices to test evolutionary and systematic working hypotheses in plant evolutionary biology. They will gain first-hand experience with NGS sequence data handling, phylogenetic tree reconstructions, time divergence estimation analysis, ancestral area reconstruction analysis and trait reconstruction. Students are expected to submit a report in form of a publication summarising and discussing the results generated throughout the practical course. For further details, please see the webpage of the section Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants.

SEMINAR: Each student will present and discuss a publication on a phylogenetic reconstruction of a certain plant taxon. Possible subtopics are biogeography, trait evolution, systematics, diversification, coevolution, biotic interactions.