BY 2238 - Evolution

Evolution is the unifying concept of biology. Evolutionary biologists approach the field from two primary perspectives and this course intends to familiarize you with both. One perspective focuses on the process of evolution. Evolutionary biologists with this perspective ask the question of how evolution works. Evolution operates at all scales of biology from molecules to the global biosphere. To understand how genes evolve is not enough to explain how specialization happens or why mass extinctions occur. The study of process focuses us to examine evolutionary mechanisms at all scales of biology. The second perspective focuses on the patterns of evolution. The diversity of life on Earth today is the product of evolutionary history. To understand how we arrived at the diversity observable today, we need to understand what actually happened as evolutionary processes shaped the history of life. This is evolutionary pattern. We will discuss how we reconstruct that history and how e that history can be used to address biological questions that we face in a modern world. The lectures in this course will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of this uniquely important field of biology. But, perhaps more importantly, the class activities will help you develop and refine those skills necessary to becoming an effective scientists, regardless of your interests. You will digest literature, organize discussions, and prepare and deliver presentations. These skills, far more than you ability to memorize the details of our lectures, will prove valuable regardless of your career trajectory.

Prerequisite(s): BY 1116 & BY 1217 Co-requisite: BY-2238L

3 Hours Lecture, 3 Hours Lab
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