300472 VO Reproductive biology (2020W)

The course in WS 2020 will address mammalian female reproductive biology, and will cover developmental and evolutionary aspects of the anatomy and physiology involved. We will start with a study of human female reproduction, and proceed by tracing single reproductive phenomena, such as ovulation, implantation, or birth, across the mammalian portion of the phylogenetic tree in comparative manner. The goal is to obtain the general understanding of the female aspects of reproduction, as well as the developmental-evolutionary processes (and principles) leading to its current complexity and diversification across extant species.