Changes for 2023-4

[ms609]

Students need a little more grounding in concepts, and could cope with less time on the microsite.

Perhaps we need a full lecture on phylogenetic classification to introduce all concepts that will be referred to by the Sansom & Erwin papers. We could even have two three-week cycles of lecture & practical → paper → debate.

Does Erwin paper provide too many tangents (e.g. the developmental aspects) that make students feel out of their depth? Would something more focussed be more effective? Strong candidate: Cunningham et al. 2017

[ms609]

Concepts that need introducing

• Molecular clocks

  • Do your own molecular clock? MEGA alignment; IQtree / BEAST; crude calibration?

• Ediacara biota

  • Dickinsonia practical?

• Related topic questions

  • Is Namacalathus a bilaterian?
  • Is Dickinsonia a bilaterian?
  • Can chemical biomarkers reliably constrain the origin of non-fossilized taxa?