This year's online course in morphometrics from the University of Manchester will run in the six weeks from 5 November to 14 December 2018.

Course content: * Data acquisition: the kinds of data and the equipment used to collect them. * Definitions of size and shape * Geometric methods to characterise shape from a configuration of landmark points (Procrustes superimposition) * Statistics of variation, scatter plots, basic multivariate statistics * Principal component analysis * Measurement error and outliers * Shape transformations and 'warping' -- the thin plate spline * Analysis of outline shapes * Distinguishing between groups (taxonomy, clinical diagnosis, etc.) * Allometry and size correction * Influence of external factors on shape (ecomorphology, dose-response studies) * Symmetric forms and measurement of asymmetry. * Morphometric inferences on developmental processes * Morphological integration and modularity * Genetics of shape: analyses of resemblance between relatives, QTL analyses. * Phylogeny: examining the history of evolutionary changes of shape

Practice examples: As far as possible, practical exercises are provided to accompany the course content. These practice exercises consist of data sets and explanations on how to run the respective analyses using the MorphoJ software (http://www.flywings.org.uk/MorphoJ_page.htm). Participants who already have their own data are encouraged to use those and to discuss them as part of the course. I hope there will be a bit of a 'workshop' feel to the course unit.

Group work: Participants will work in small groups to prepare web presentations of possible morphometric studies (wikis prepared by the groups). This activity stimulates discussion and provides a broad overview of the broad range of questions that can be addressed with morphometric methods.

Further information on the course and a link to the registration page can be found on the following we site: http://www.flywings.org.uk/MorphoCourse

Registration uses the university's e-store, which can process automatic *payments by credit card or debit card*. The deadline for registration via this site is the *29 October 2018*.

The direct link to the e-store is this: https://estore.manchester.ac.uk/short-courses/faculty-of-biology-medicine-and-health/school-of-biological-sciences/analysis-of-organismal-form/analysis-of-organismal-form?token=4b10ca6c5fa0d1b5273920a4b103520e

The fee for the course is GBP 360.00.

If you cannot pay by credit or debit card, or *if you require a formal invoice* (e.g. for reimbursement by your institution), you need to contact the Short Course Office in our faculty via this E-mail: [email protected] If you need to use this option, please do so *as soon as possible*.

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