Evolutionary Biology

Catalog description

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the current field of evolutionary biology, including the theoretical background as well as an introduction to current research in experimental evolution. By the end of this course you should be able to see how evolution provides a framework for the broader field of biology, and have a basic understanding of the major topics in evolutionary biology: the theory of evolution by natural selection, the history of evolutionary thought, population genetics, sexual and kin selection, evolutionary trees/phylogenies, how new species form, and human evolution. Lectures will cover a variety of topics within the field of evolutionary biology. We will examine the theoretical basis of these various topics in detail and break that theoretical basis down into its underlying components. We will also examine how evolutionary theory can be applied to real- world examples, particularly in issues relevant to medicine, agriculture, conservation, and sociology.