Evolution
Course Description
Evolutionary biology. Topics include the history of life, fossil record, causes of microevolution (including natural selection and mutation), macroevolutionary processes (including speciation and extinction), evolutionary genetics and developmental biology (‘evo-devo’), phylogeny construction and taxonomy.
Learning Outcomes
- Appraise fundamental concepts in phylogeny and cladogram construction.
- Explain temporal patterns of biodiversity, including the history of life on Earth and the fossil record.
- Describe agents of microevolution, including natural selection, mutation, genetic drift and gene flow.
- Explain the phylogenetic and biological species concepts.
- Explain macroevolutionary processes, including speciation and extinction.
- Explain the developmental and genetic influences on morphological evolution.
Prerequisites
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