Discover the biological bases of human diversity from genetic, evolutionary and cultural perspectives. We explore topics such as why some people can't drink milk, the genetic control and natural selection of human skin pigmentation, whether natural selection is still operating in humans, and why Genghis Khan may have 16 million descendants. We also address one of the greatest puzzles in social evolution: how did humans evolve our remarkable capacity to cooperate, first, in small foraging groups, and more recently in large-scale societies, such as modern nation-states?

Instructor(s): Schlichting and Turchin

Typically offered: Spring

Credits: 3

Format: Lecture

Grading: Two “midterms” 1/3 and 2/3 through the course and a final that combines Exam 3 (last third) with a comprehensive final. Two assignments: one on the genetic, and one on cultural half of the course. Points for participation at lectures via clickers.

Explore the evolutionary history and diversity of vertebrates with an emphasis on classification, fossil history, feeding, locomotion, physiological ecology, reproduction, defense, and social behavior. We begin with a journey through the evolution of the fishes, traverse through the dinosaurs and their relatives, then turn our attention to the amphibians and reptiles. These are followed by an examination of the the evolution, structure, and behavior of the birds. We wrap up the semester with an indepth look at the mammals with a focus on their ecology as it relates to feeding, reproduction and social behavior.

Instructor(s): Davis and Herrick

Typically offered: Fall

Credits: 3

Format: Lecture

Grading: Grading is based on a midterm, an endterm and a final exam. Weekly activities in class as well as short self-assessments are also provided.

Just a handful of evolutionary processes—natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift, non-random mating, mutation and migration—have acted in concert to produce the fantastic diversity of life. The goal of this course is to introduce students to these evolutionary processes and use them to explain the history and distribution of life on earth. We study how these processes lead to geographic variation among populations and speciation. We examine the construction of evolutionary trees, the origin and extinction of species over geological time, including the origin of humans, and the origin of evolutionary novelties. We also explore the geographic distributions of organisms and explanations for those distributions.

Instructor(s): Jockusch, Simon, Yuan, Caira, Lewis

Typically offered: Fall Spring

Credits: 3

Format: lecture

Grading: Assessment format depends on instructors, but may include exams, weekly activities, and quizzes

Plants are the foundation of Earth's terrestrial landscapes and critical to human civilizations. In this course we explore the evolution of morphological, physiological, and genomic traits associated with the shift of plants onto land from aquatic ancestors, and the major innovations leading to the rise of flowering plants. We discuss how plants interact with animals and fungi and how they influence global biogeochemistry. Laboratories explore the diversity of morphological and anatomical traits of living and extinct plants, apply phylogenetic methodology to morphological and molecular characters, and discuss the latest exciting research in plant evolution.

Instructor(s): Goffinet and Lewis

Typically offered: Spring alternate years, even

Credits: 4

Format: 3 h lecture, 3 h lab

Grading: Lecture: quizzes, homework, midterm, final; Lab: projects, write-ups, oral presentations, lab quizzes

Inside your body are the physical remnants of distant ancestors—a fish gill in your throat, the jaws of a reptile in your ear, and the braincase of a shark in your skull (to name just a few). Other mysteries abound: the nerve that supplies the diaphragm below your ribs travels all the way from the neck; lower back pain afflicts 80% of adults. None of these things make sense except in light of evolution and the transformation of vertebrate form and function through time. This course teaches the fundamentals of anatomy while also tracing the evolution and diversity of vertebrate bodies, their adaptations, functions and biomechanics. In the lab you will experience anatomy directly through dissection, live animal demonstrations, and our extensive collection of bones and skulls.

Instructor(s): Schwenk

Typically offered: Fall alternate years, even

Credits: 4

Format: 3 h lecture, 3 h lab

Grading: Lecture exams; lab practicals and quizzes

In this course, we learn about the ancient Earth and the organisms that inhabited it. The lectures cover two general areas: 1) concepts and methods in paleobiology, and 2) the chronology of life’s history as documented in the fossil record. We discuss all types of organisms, although the focus is on animals, and to a lesser extent plants. In lab, students learn to identify and interpret major groups of fossils using (mostly) real fossil specimens.

Instructor(s): Bush

Typically offered: Spring alternate years, even

Credits: 4

Format: 3 credits of lecture, 1 credit of lab, 1 field trip (weather permitting)

Grading: Grading is based on 2 midterm exams, the final exam, and the lab assignments