Syllabus
Sylabus „Evolution of Sex and Reproductive Strategy“ - WS 2019/2020 (MS107024)
(may be subject to change)
Teachers: Šárka Kaňková, Radim Kuba & Jan Toman
Day and time: wednesday 12:20-13-50,
Place: room B2P (Viničná 7, 2nd floor) 1) Introduction to the problematic of sexual and asexual reproduction – Jan Toman (2. 10. 2019)
Definition, various understandings, parasexual processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, distribution of sexual reproduction, special features of sexual reproduction, primary and secondary asexuality. 2) The origin of sexual reproduction and its dating – Jan Toman (9. 10. 2019)
Circumcstances of origin, dating of the origin of sexual reproduction using chemofossils, fossils, and molecular clock, prokaryotic roots of sexuality, phylogeny of sexual processes, the origin of meiosis, theories of the origin of sexual reprocution. 3) Advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction and theories of its long-term maintenance – Jan Toman (16. 10. 2019)
Disadvantages of sexuality and advantages of asexuality, distribution of secondary asexual lineages, recent and ancient secondary asexual lineages, re-evolution of sexuality, genetic and ecological theories of the advantages of sexual reproduction, particular adaptations enabling long-term asexuality, synthesis. 4) Evolutionary consequences of sexuality – Jan Toman (23. 10. 2019)
Origin of anisogamy, gonochorism and distinct roles of males and females, evolution of haploid and diploid phases of life cycle, intersexual competition, sexual selection. 5) Reproductive decision-making in humans – Šárka Kaňková (30. 10. 2019)
Planned parenthood, family size, conflict between parents and children, factors influencing parenthood, kin selection, incest, influence of heritage on reproduction, evolution of menopause. 6) Sex ratio – Šárka Kaňková (6. 11. 2019)
Gametogenesis, definition of primary and secondary sex ratio, ultimate causes of changes in sex ratio, proximal causes of changes in sex ratio, influence of parasites on sex ratio, manipulation hypothesis. 7) Pregnancy and postnatal development – Šárka Kaňková (13. 11. 2019)
Uteral conflict and embryo quality control hypothesis, evolutionary explanation of pregnancy nausea and disgust in pregnancy, factors influencing pregnancy and birth, weight gain in pregnancy, Rh polymorphism. 8) Infertility and nonproductive lifestyles – Šárka Kaňková (20. 11. 2019)
Origin and types of infertility in humans, factors affecting infertility, ultimate causes of infertility, artificial insemination, ethics of assisted reproduction, homosexuality, celibacy. 9) Toxoplasmosis and reproduction – Šárka Kaňková (27. 11. 2019)
Life cycle, epidemiology of toxoplasmosis, manipulation hypothesis, congenital toxoplasmosis, effect of latent toxoplasmosis on pregnancy, sex ratio, prenatal development and fertility, sexual transmission of toxoplasmosis. 10) Partnership vs. parenthood – Radim Kuba (4. 12. 2019)
Short-term and long-term partnership strategies, marriage, parental and partnership relationships, partner crises, parental investment in children, parental influence on children, condition-dependent investment strategies. 11) Sibling constellations – Radim Kuba (11. 12. 2019)
History of study, evolutionary-ecological origin of differences, specification of constellations (single child, second-born, later born,…), main factors influencing manifestation of constellation effects, manifestations and influence of constellation differences.
Annotation
The course focuses on the evolution of sexual reproduction in the broadest sense. In the first block of lectures, we focus on the evolutionary roots and origin of sex, the problematic of sexual and asexual reproduction, their advantages, disadvantages, and the evolutionary consequences of the origin of sex.
The second block of lectures loosely follows the first one and focuses on the evolutionary aspects of human reproduction, evolutionary psychology in the area of human reproductive decision making, and sibling constellations. The course does not require prior completion of other university lectures.
However, knowledge of the basics of evolutionary biology, or completing the courses Introduction to Evolutionary Biology (MB170P55) and/or Microevolution and Macroevolution (MB160P60), is an advantage.