The
third international course on cladistics and polychaetes will take place
in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain, from June 21 to July
9, 2004. The course comprises two units. The first, conducted between June
21 and July 4, will consist of the course itself and will deal with
cladistic theory and practice with particular reference to polychaetes.
The second, conducted between July 5-9, is the International Polychaete
Conference at UAM. Cladistics, or phylogenetic systematics, is one ofthe
more important recent intellectual movements in systematics. Cladistic
techniques are now routinely applied to problems in the systematics of
polychaetes by specialists around the world. Recent studies involving
polychaetes have profoundly changed our views on the evolution of this
diverse group, and more and more studies using cladistics are being
published each year. Cladistic approaches, however, should not be
undertaken lightly, and require sound theoretical background and thorough
knowledge of computer-based techniques.
A group of
specialists in cladistics and polychaetes, coming from France, Sweden,
United
The courses were given in association with the Intemational Polychaete Conference (IPC) and the International Polychaete Association (IPA). The latter inc1udes a large number of international investigators who study polychaetes from many aspects, such as systematics, ecology, anatomy, ultrastructure, physiology and genetics. Many of them attend the IPC. In 2004, the 8th IPC will be held at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). The organizing committee, chaired by Dr. Guillermo San Martín (UAM), inc1udes Drs. Daniel Martín and Rafael Sardá (of Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, CSIC) and Eduardo López (UAM) as well as most researchers on polychaetes from the Iberían Península.
To read the program, please click here
The
sequence of Cladistics & Polychaetes III followed by the 8th IPC,
represents a significant opportunity for
polychaete students. It allows them to attend a course on recent
systematic theory and then to have continued scientific exchange with
experts in their field during the conference.
Furthermore,
the contact among postgraduate students and younger researchers, as well
as with more experienced colleagues provides opportunities for the
establishment of international collaborations. Students at Cladistics
& Polychaetes III will be provided with advice on their ongoing
projects and are encouraged to bring their own data for further analysis
during the course.
Cladistics & Polychaetes III course is structured
as a series of topics related to cladistic studies and polychaetes. The
broad structure of the course will be two lectures each day (in the
morning) followed by practical sessions in the afternoon and discussions
of significant papers in systematics in the evening. The topics to be
covered involve: (1) introduction to cladistic philosophy and practice,
(2) various problems in polychaete phylogenetics, (3) collection and
preservation of polychaetes for various morphological techniques, (4)
computer-based cladistic analysis, (5) biogeography and comparative
methods, (6) molecular date and analysis, (7) nomenclature and trees, and
(8) advice on publishing phylogenetic studies. The practicals will involve
hands on sessions involving polychaete specimens and the use of computer
programs such as P AUP* and MacClade. The latter practical sessions will
provide an opportunity for students to analyse their own data or to study
data or a problem provided by the course staff.
The
scientists who will give the majority of c1asses are:
Arne
Nygren, Göteborg University (Sweden)
Fredrik
Pleijel, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (France)
Greg
Rouse, South Australian Museum (Australia)
With
the help of:
Kristian Fauchald, Smithsonian Institution (USA), and
several other guest researchers from Spain and other countries.
Queries
about the course content should be addressed to Greg Rouse rouse.greg@saugov.sa.gov.au
Organizing
commitee:
Dr.
Eduardo López (main responsible of course co-ordination, to whom
logistical queries should be addressed) and Dr. Guillermo San Martin (main
responsible of the VIII IPC),
Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología
(Zoología), Canto Blanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Te!.:
34 91 4978285, Fax: 3491 4978344
E-mail:
eduardo.lopez@uam.es
Dr.
Daniel Martin and Dr. Rafael Sardá
Centre
d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas,
carrer d'accés
a la cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes (Girona), Catalunya (Spain).
Details
on the organization of the course (on registration of participants,
lodging, etc.) can be obtained by e-mailing Dr. Eduardo Lopez, as well as
information on some grants that will be available upon request trough the
lnternational Cooperation Agency of Spain. The maximum number of
participants will be 20.
