Course code NOVA-302

NOVA-302 Biological Consequences of Selection

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Showing course contents for the educational year 2018 - 2019 .

ECTS credits: 5
Faculty: Faculty of Biosciences
Teaching language: EN
(NO=norsk, EN=Engelsk)
Teaching exam periods:
On-site course 19-23 Aug. 2019 in Hafjell, assignment the week after that.  
Course frequency: The course was/will be given as a NOVA course in 2017 and 2019
First time: Study year 2016-2017
Preferential right:

Pre-requirements are a B.Sc. in Animal Science.

Master's level students have number one priority.

PhD students should apply for admission to the course that is given on PhD level with course code NOVA-410.

Course contents:

This course is organised as a joint NOVA PhD and master's course.

The objective of this course is to provide a platform for understanding the biological changes occurring when applying (artificial) selection. The student should be able to reflect on the consequences from a scientific point of view and understand the physiological changes taking place.

The course will cover the following topics:

  • Ethical aspects of animal breeding
  • Growth and development - genetic scaling (Taylor)
  • Maternal effects, social effects and group selection
  • Genetic variation of behavioral traits
  • Genotyp x Environment interactions
  • Robustness, trade-offs and adaptive capacity
  • Modelling and the genetics of feed efficiency 

Programme Outline

The course week will consist of lectures, group work and seminars given by the PhD students. Teaching and tutoring will be distributed equally among the four main teachers. Course days will start with lectures until lunch and group work and presentations by students after lunch. The course will start Monday morning and end Friday afternoon.

Post-Campus Assignment

The student will work on an assignments the week after the one-week seminar. The assignment will be graded according to the NMBU rules (pass/fail).

Learning outcome:

After the course the master's students should be able to:

  • Reflect on the ethical aspects of animal breeding
  • Summarize the consequences of artificial selection
  • Predict direct, maternal and correlated effects of selection
  • Describe the concept of social effects and group selection
  • Apply the methods of genetic size scaling
  • Understand mechanisms related to feed efficiency
  • Describe the effect of selection on behavioral traits

(The learning outcomes are the same on the master's and PhD course. However, the students on the master's course are expected to meet the learning outcomes to a lesser degree.)

Learning activities:
The course will include a mixture of lectures, group work and presentations.
Syllabus:
The students will receive the reading list in due time.
Prerequisites:
Pre-requirements are a B.Sc. in Animal Science.
Recommended prerequisites:
Pre-requirements are a B.Sc. in Animal Science.
Mandatory activity:
Participation at the on-site course.
Assessment:
The student will work on an assignment the week after the one-week seminar. The assignment will be graded according to the NMBU rules (pass/fail).
Nominal workload:
  • 50 hours preperatory reading
  • 40 hours lectures/group work during course
  • 50 hours on assignment after the course week
Entrance requirements:
Pre-requirements are a B.Sc. in Animal Science.
Type of course:
40 hours lectures/group work during course
Note:

The course is organised as a joint NOVA PhD and master's course. For a course description of the PhD course, please see the course with course code NOVA-410.

The master's course is organised by Geir Steinheim, NMBU. Teahcers from NMBU, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and AgroParisTech will teach the course. Please see the course information webpage on NOVA's website for more information on the course:

https://www.nmbu.no/en/students/nova/students/msc-courses/msc-2019/node/36265

Examiner:
Examination details: Report: Bestått / Ikke bestått