Study programmes

Based on the topic of the diploma projects, graduates of Evolutionary Biology can routinely identify and classify species diversity in one of the main lineages of eukaryotic organisms (such as plants, animals, fungi, protists). For this identification he or she applies the traditional taxonomic knowledge (mostly based on morphology), the genetic or proteomic sequence data, or automated classification systems. He or she can analyse the abiotic factors, including various anthropogenic pollutants and contaminants of the natural environment, and their effects on population variation and microevolutionary processes. With regard to rapid progress in genomics, proteomics, biostatistics and bioimaging, the graduates are increasingly focused on non-model taxa, which contributes to understanding of evolutionary processes leading to structural and functional diversification of individual organismal groups.
The graduates use molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics in their studies of evolutionary porcesses and biodiversity dynamics. These analyses are then integrated with advanced methods of phenotype analysis, such as geometric morphometrics, image analysis, evolutionary modelling and multivariate statistical techniques. Using these analyses, the graduates can identify various problematic or undescribed organisms and evaluate their potential for taxonomic and evolutionary research in biology.

The graduates apply their expert knowledge in dealing with particular research and practical tasks, such as the analysis of microevolutionary processes, their interaction with environment (including anthropogenic pollution), biological invasions and global changes, in relation to providing the ecosystem services and assuring ecological stability of the ecosystems. They can carry out the biogeographic analyses of species distribution, especially in relation to regional invasions or extinction events. They can collect the diversity data both in the field, as well as using various cultivation and observation techniques. They can analyse the structure of this diversity and evaluate their patterns in biological assessment, especially in legal processes of the environmental impact assessment (EIA).
Practical skills of the graduates include molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics, as well as the advanced techniques of phenotype analysis, such as quantitative analysis of phenotypic variation, evolutionary patterns of behaviour or competitive interactions in natural communities. The graduates use these skills in a study of various biotechnologically important organisms, focusing on topics of their microevolutionary genetic differentiation, or in industrial applications (production analysis, populational variation related to production methods, evaluation biotechnological potential of individual non-model organisms from the viewpoint of their phylogenetic position and evolutionary history). The graduates can also assess the ethical aspects of biotechnological research and praxis, in particular to invasion risks and hybridisation of cultured taxa with their free-living relatives. They can also communicate their knowledge with other experts in the field.

The graduates find their professional employment in crop and animal research, industrial cultivation, ecotoxicology, food industry and nature protection. In addition, they are also employed in institutions of fundamental and applied research and museums. They perform biological assessment, i.e. evaluation of biological impacts of economical activities during environmental impact asessment (EIA).