Tour through Theoretical studies: from biology to culture and back

Dates: January 20 to 31st 2025

Duration: Two Weeks (No classes on Thursdays)

Language: English

Schedule:

Daily Sessions: 10:30 - 1200 and 13:30-1500 hrs Final Workshop: Discussion of Student Projects on the Last Day

Course Overview:

This intensive two-week course in theoretical biology is tailored for Masters’s students from a variety of backgrounds from applied mathematics and physics, biology to psychology and cultural anthropology. It gives the students a flavour of theoretical studies’ the why, how and what of it. Through interactive lectures and demonstrations, we describe key concepts and methodologies across the scales of biological organisation, including evolutionary dynamics, ecological interactions, and cultural evolution. At the end of the course, the students are expected to provide a short feedback through an oral presentation on their favourite topic.

Course Topics:

January 20

Instructors: Chaitanya S. Gokhale

Introduction and Fundamentals of Evolution: Explore the core principles of evolutionary theory, including mutations, selection, genetic drift and cooperation. Understand the fundamental mechanisms driving the diversity of life on Earth, from molecular processes to social systems.

• Morning: Structure of the course, Fundamentals of Evolutionary Dynamics
• Afternoon: METHINKSITSAWEASEL demonstration

January 21 - 22

Instructors: Axel Arango Garcia

Macroecology: Investigate the large-scale patterns and processes in ecological systems. Learn how to analyze spatial and temporal trends in biodiversity, species distribution, and ecosystem function.

• Day one
  • Morning: Day 1: What is Macroecology? & Macroecological theories and patterns.
  • Afternoon: How to test macroecology (Species and Communities approaches) & Demonstration in R.
• Day two
  • Morning: Species distribution models (SDMs) and potential applications regarding climate change and conservation & mechanistic eco-evolutionary models Seminar.
  • Afternoon: How to make a SDM. Demonstration in R.

January 24 - 27

Instructors: Dharanish Rajendra

Classical models in Theoretical Ecology: Learn how to construct and analyze simple mathematical models of ecology covering various processes.

• Day One - Learn the theoretical underpinnings of classical ecological models.
  • Morning: Single species models
  • Afternoon: Multi-species models
• Day two - Explore the extensions of these classical models, including bits of realism
  • Morning: Spatial structure: cellular automata
  • Afternoon: Further generality: Agent-based modeling

January 28-29

Instructors: Luis Alejandro Villanueva, Chaitanya S. Gokhale

Cultural Evolution:

• Day one - Chaitanya S. Gokhale
  • Morning: Evolutionary games: behavioural traits
  • Afternoon: Social Immunity in ants Seminar & Eco-evolutionary games: collective beliefs and cooperation
• Day two - Luis Alejandro Villanueva
  • Morning: Cognition, ecology and sociality in Hominid evolution
  • Afternoon: Musicality and Musical Practices: Evolution and Cultural diversification

January 31

Final Workshop:

A freestyle 5-minute pitch from each participant on whether they can use any of the concepts discussed in this course for their own projects or if they think of developing new projects from the ideas coming from this course.

Enrollment:

Deadline : 31st October 2024

If you plan to attend parts or the whole course, please provide details and confirm by the end of October 2024 by emailing Dr. Axel Arango Garcia - axel.arango-garcia [at] uni-wuerzburg [dot] de