Introduction
Ecology is the branch that deals with the interaction of organisms with their environment. Evolution is the study of the process by which modern organisms have evolved from their ancestors.
This article will give you complete information regarding the GATE Ecology and Evolution Syllabus 2024.
GATE Ecology and Evolution Syllabus (EY) 2024
GATE Ecology and Evolution (EY) consists of Four Sections.
- Ecology.
- Evolution.
- Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology.
- Behavioral Ecology.
Section 1: Ecology
Population ecology: metapopulation dynamics; growth rates; density-independent growth; density-dependent growth; niche concept;
Species interactions: Plant-animal interactions; mutualism, commensalism, competition and predation; trophic interactions; functional ecology; ecophysiology; behavioural ecology;
Community ecology: Community assembly, organization and evolution; biodiversity: species richness, evenness and diversity indices; endemism; species-area relationships;
Ecosystem structure, function and services; nutrient cycles; biomes; habitat ecology; primary and secondary productivity; invasive species; global and climate change; applied ecology.
Section 2: Evolution
Origin, evolution, and diversification of life; natural selection; levels of selection.
Types of selection (stabilizing, directional etc.); sexual selection; genetic drift; gene flow; adaptation; convergence; species concepts;
Life history strategies; adaptive radiation; biogeography and evolutionary ecology;
Origin of genetic variation; Mendelian genetics; polygenic traits, linkage and recombination; epistasis, gene-environment interaction; heritability; population genetics;
Molecular evolution; molecular clocks; systems of classification: cladistics and phenetics; molecular systematics; gene expression and evolution.
Section 3: Mathematics and Quantitative Ecology
Mathematics and statistics in ecology; Simple functions (linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, etc); the concept of derivatives and slope of a function; permutations and combinations; basic probability (probability of random events; sequences of events, etc); frequency distributions and their descriptive statistics (mean, variance, coefficient of
variation, correlation, etc).
Statistical hypothesis testing: Concept of p-value; Type I and Type II error, test statistics like t-test and Chi-square test; basics of linear regression and ANOVA.
Section 4: Behavioural Ecology
Classical ethology; neuroethology; evolutionary ethology; chemical, acoustic, and visual signaling
Mating systems; sexual dimorphism; mate choice; parenting behaviour Competition; aggression; foraging behaviour; predator-prey interactions; Sociobiology: kin selection, altruism, costs and benefits of group-living.
Conclusion
The syllabus of Ecology and Evolution is divided into 4 sections. The candidates are advised to analyze them properly and figure out their weak and strong areas. That would help to devote the right amount of time to each topic as per your comfort with each section.
Do not get under pressure to cover everything. Instead, try to learn the topics and revise them repeatedly.
Focus on consistency and avoid procrastination.
We hope you achieve all that you desire!
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