EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 , BIOLOGY/BOTANY 130 , ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 152 , BIOCORE 381 , ( ANTHRO 105 and satisfied QR-A), or graduate/professional standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning Breadth - Biological Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Explain the major biological transitions and climatic events that shaped the history of life on Earth. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Use phylogenetic trees to study and describe evolution. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Describe sources of variation within populations and distinguish those that can or cannot be acted upon by selection. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Apply the principles of population genetics to explain microevolution and conservation genetics. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Apply the principles of quantitative genetics and developmental biology to predict trait evolution. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Explain how microevolutionary phenomena yield macroevolutionary patterns. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Deploy evolutionary principles to develop and evaluate plausible adaptive hypotheses. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 8. Analyze and summarize primary literature in evolutionary biology. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Explain the major biological transitions and climatic events that shaped the history of life on Earth. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Use phylogenetic trees to study and describe evolution. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Describe sources of variation within populations and distinguish those that can or cannot be acted upon by selection. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Apply the principles of population genetics to explain microevolution and conservation genetics. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Apply the principles of quantitative genetics and developmental biology to predict trait evolution. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Explain how microevolutionary phenomena yield macroevolutionary patterns. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Deploy evolutionary principles to develop and evaluate plausible adaptive hypotheses. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 8. Analyze and summarize primary literature in evolutionary biology. Audience: Graduate