Darwinian Medicine

Catalog description

The theory of evolution is the foundation of biological sciences but until relatively recently has been underemphasized in medicine. The traits and phenomena that medicine usually examines from the perspective of such fields as genetics, physiology, or development also have an evolutionary basis. Understanding the evolution of these traits can both improve our understanding of disease and change the way it is treated. This course examines evolutionary explanations for such health phenomena as infectious disease, genetic disease, human growth and development, reproduction, and aging.