Evolution: The Unity and Diversity of Life

The theory of evolution is one of the most important theories in all the natural and social sciences, and it is crucial to understanding the diversity of life on Earth. This course explores the history of evolutionary thinking from Darwin (and his predecessors) to Dawkins, with an emphasis on the growing tool kit of evolutionary principles for understanding and conserving the Earth's biodiversity. We'll look in detail at key forces of evolutionary change, including natural selection, sexual selection, kin selection, and more, and we'll look at their leading products in adaptation and diversification. Students working singly or in small groups will take on such fascinating challenges as why do hammerhead sharks have a strange front end? Do flying squid really fly? How and why do pistol shrimp generate light underwater? How does the waved albatross thrive without a nest? Among aerodynamic cormorants, why is there one that does not fly? And why do you have a vermiform appendix? These and other peculiarities will help us understand pattern and process in evolution. Far from being an old and esoteric subject, we'll see how evolution offers indispensable tools both for understanding and conserving the wonderful diversity of life on earth.