91396 - Morphometry and Phenotypical Plasticity

Learning outcomes

The learning objectives of the course of morphometry and phenotypic plasticity include the aquisition of general theoretical skills and the analysis of published scientific studies. Students will learn how to design an experiment to study phenotypic plasticity of an organism in response to the environment; i.e. how environmental variation determines different development strategies starting from the same genotype. Case studies about the effect of environmental change on different aspects of the phenotype will be analysed, thus learning to quantify phenotypic variations at different scales of observation and using multi-disciplinary techniques, from macro-morphology to gene expression.

Course contents

The course addresses the study of morphological variability and phenotypic plasticity by integrating theoretical foundations, case-study analysis, scientific literature and applied practical activities. The course is organised into the following thematic units.

Introduction to the course and fundamental concepts

• Presentation of the course, timetable, teaching materials and assessment procedures.
• Definition of the concepts of morphometrics and phenotypic plasticity.
• Brainstorming activity aimed at eliciting prior knowledge and interpretations of course concepts.

Evolutionary foundations of phenotypic plasticity

• Phenotypic plasticity within the framework of evolutionary theory.
• Definition of phenotypic plasticity and analysis of its biological, ecological and evolutionary relevance.
• Relationships among genotype, environment and phenotypic expression.
• Analysis of case studies on phenotypic plasticity in corals.

Eco-Devo and Eco-Evo-Devo

• Introduction to Ecological Developmental Biology, with particular attention to the role of environmental signals in determining alternative developmental trajectories.
• Relationships among environment, development, phenotypic expression and evolution.
• “Debunking Nemo”: analysis of anemonefish as a model organism for studying Eco-Evo-Devo processes.

Analysis and discussion of scientific literature

• Flipped-classroom activities based on case studies concerning the use of morphometrics to address ecological questions.
• Individual preparation of materials, classroom presentations and collective discussion of the analysed cases.
• Examination of case studies drawn from scientific papers selected and presented by students in previous academic years.

Phenotypic plasticity, ecological functions and ecosystem services

• The importance of phenotypic variability in functional ecology.
• Relationships among organismal traits, ecological functions and responses to environmental variation.
• Connections among functional biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the assessment of ecosystem services.

Traditional morphometrics and biometric practical activity

• Collection of macromorphometric data.
• Data organisation and processing using Microsoft Excel.
• Application of statistical analyses aimed at identifying morphological variation among groups.
• Analysis of relationships among biometric parameters.
• Development and validation of a simple dichotomous key based on morphological characters.

Geometric morphometrics

• Introduction to three-dimensional geometric morphometrics.
• Landmarks, semilandmarks and the quantitative representation of shape.
• Principles of Procrustes analysis.
• Applications of geometric morphometrics to the study of biological variability.

Morphology and monitoring of river ecosystems

• Virtual field trip focusing on the ecology of river ecosystems.
• The role of morphology in identifying macroinvertebrates used in the biological monitoring of watercourses.
• Viewing of educational videos on sampling methods, produced as part of a study assessing the effects of a river engineering project on macroinvertebrate communities.
• Use of dichotomous keys to identify the sampled taxonomic units.
• Calculation of the Extended Biotic Index, EBI.

Multidisciplinary morphometric approaches

• Analysis of an unusual form of phenotypic plasticity associated with growth on artificial substrates.
• Comparison of traditional morphometrics, three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and cnidocyst analysis in the study of a deep-water coral.
• Discussion of the potential and limitations of different approaches in addressing biological and ecological questions.

 

Readings/Bibliography

All materials required for the course will be made available on the Virtuale platform before the relevant classes.

Materials will include:

• lecture presentations;
• scientific papers;
• educational videos;
• materials and datasets used in practical activities;
• dichotomous keys and other resources supporting applied activities.

Students are not required to purchase textbooks.

The scientific papers and any additional materials provided during the course are an integral part of the examination syllabus.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered in blended mode, with classes accessible simultaneously in person and online.

The course integrates traditional teaching methods with active-learning activities. Lectures are used to introduce and organise theoretical concepts, present the main methodological approaches and discuss case studies drawn from scientific research. Computer-based practical activities allow students to apply the concepts introduced during lectures to the collection, organisation, representation and analysis of morphometric data. The initial brainstorming activity is used to build on students’ prior knowledge and support the shared construction of fundamental concepts. Flipped-classroom activities involve the individual preparation of scientific case studies, their presentation to the class and subsequent collective discussion. These activities foster participation, comparison among different interpretations, synthesis skills and the appropriate use of scientific language. The virtual field trip and activities involving dichotomous keys allow students to apply morphological knowledge within an ecological monitoring context. The active and creative participation of students is an integral component of the course’s teaching approach.

Activities directly connected with the final examination are also carried out during classes, allowing students to become progressively familiar with the presentation, definition of concepts and scientific discussion required during the examination.

Assessment methods

Learning is assessed through an oral examination consisting of three parts.

1. Presentation and discussion of a scientific paper

The student gives a short PowerPoint presentation consisting of five slides and lasting no more than five minutes. The presentation must focus on a scientific paper chosen by the student on a topic relevant to the course. The presentation is followed by a discussion of the paper and its connections with the topics covered during the course. This part of the examination assesses the student’s ability to understand and summarise a scientific study, identify its main elements, connect it with course topics and communicate its contents using appropriate scientific language.

2. Definition of terms

The student is required to define two terms randomly selected from a list made available at the end of the course. This part assesses knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts and terminology of the course.

3. Discussion of a course topic

The examination concludes with a question on a topic related to one of the terms selected in the second part, chosen by the  student. A slide related to the topic, selected from those used during the course, is provided as support for the discussion. This part assesses the student’s ability to organise and connect knowledge, apply concepts to specific cases, interpret available information and develop a scientifically grounded discussion.

The final grade will be determined using this evaluation grid.

The examination format and assessment criteria are explained in detail during the first class. Throughout the course, specific sessions are dedicated to preparing students for the different components of the examination. The final class is entirely devoted to clarifying any remaining questions concerning the examination procedure and assessment.

AI can be a useful tool to support individual study with in-depth analysis, summaries, and self-assessment pathways. As for the assessment of learning, a limited, declared, and non-substantial use of AI is allowed for support activities (such as preparing the PowerPoint). Substantial use for completing parts of the oral exam is not permitted.

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

The following tools and resources will be used during the course:

• slides and other presentation materials;
• scientific papers;
• educational videos;
• Wooclap;
• Microsoft Excel;
• datasets for practical activities;
• dichotomous keys for identifying river macroinvertebrates;
• materials made available through the Virtuale platform.

Office hours

See the website of Erik Caroselli