Introduction to Evolution

Catalog description

Evolution is the "grand unifying theory" that underlies all of modern biology. In this team-taught, lecture and discussion-based introductory course, students will learn about: the history of the concept of evolution and how it is discussed in modern society; sources of variation and forces of evolution; microevolution, speciation, and the nature of species; common descent, phylogeny, and the tree (and web) of life; macroevolution and modeling evolutionary trends; and the role of the fossil record, including that of our own lineage, in understanding evolution in deep time. Students will learn core foundational knowledge and how to discuss and contextualize evolutionary concepts.