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Biology Teaching and Learning Centre · ANU College of Science and Medicine
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" Theodosius Dobzhansky (1973) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evolution has shaped everything about the biological world. This course will help you to make sense of evolution. It will give you deeper insights into some of the most gripping aspects of existence: why organisms age, why most animals have sex rather than reproducing clonally, why diseases are virulent or mild, why individuals choose to compete rather than cooperate, and much more. This course will help you to develop an appreciation and understanding of evolutionary principles and processes, including microevolution (natural and sexual selection, fitness, adaptation, sexual conflict, coevolution) and macroevolution (speciation, molecular evolution, phylogenetics, evolution of biodiversity). The course will also briefly introduce human evolution and the emerging field of evolutionary medicine. You will also learn about the historical development of evolutionary ideas - this is critical to a proper understanding of evolution as we know it today. The course is not just about learning facts. It is about understanding how evolutionary biologists do research, and getting to grips with how we can design tests or experiments that tell us about processes that happen over timescales longer than a human life, or events that occurred millions of years ago. For example, how do we test ideas about why some birds are brightly coloured and others dull? How can we reconstruct the events that result in one species splitting into two? How can we explain why there are so many species in tropical rainforests? By the end of this course, you will be able to formulate and test your own evolutionary hypotheses. Honours Pathway Option (HPO): Entry to this option will be subject to approval by the course convener and is based on academic merit. Students who take this option will participate in additional activities based on reviewing recent research papers to develop skills in critical thinking, and assessing and interpreting scientific evidence.
Fortnightly quizzes (5 x 6% each)
Learning outcomes 2, 3
Group presentation and 500-word report
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Exam (mid semester)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Exam (end semester)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including: - Face-to face component which may consist of 3 x 1 hour lectures per week for 12 weeks (total 36 hours). - Group presentations - approximately 3 hours per week over an 8-week period (total 24 hours) of self-directed group work. Students will work with their groups in their own time to create an explainer video, which they will upload to Wattle in week 10. - Approximately 76 hours of self directed study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks. Students are expected to actively participate in and contribute to class discussions.
The course will loosely follow the textbook Evolution by CarlT. Bergstrom & Lee Alan Dugatkin, second edition. We recommend students purchase the e-book version (2nd edition media update) which includes the InQuizitive self-study modules to help support their learning.