Course Summary
This course explores the theory of evolution and its application in modern biology. Students will learn about the history of evolutionary thought, genetic variation, natural selection, and speciation.Key Learning Points
- Understand the key principles of evolutionary theory
- Analyze genetic variation and its impact on evolution
- Examine the process of natural selection and its role in adaptation
- Explore the concept of speciation and its implications for biodiversity
Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have
- USA: $63,000 - $130,000
- India: ₹4,00,000 - ₹12,00,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €40,000
- USA: $63,000 - $130,000
- India: ₹4,00,000 - ₹12,00,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €40,000
- USA: $45,000 - $90,000
- India: ₹3,00,000 - ₹8,00,000
- Spain: €15,000 - €30,000
- USA: $63,000 - $130,000
- India: ₹4,00,000 - ₹12,00,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €40,000
- USA: $45,000 - $90,000
- India: ₹3,00,000 - ₹8,00,000
- Spain: €15,000 - €30,000
- USA: $48,000 - $97,000
- India: ₹3,50,000 - ₹10,00,000
- Spain: €18,000 - €35,000
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the history and key principles of evolutionary theory
- Analyze genetic variation and its impact on evolution
- Examine natural selection and its role in adaptation
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- Basic knowledge of Biology
- Comfortable with scientific concepts and terminology
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
- Video Lectures
Similar Courses
- Introduction to Biology - The Secret of Life
- Genetics and Evolution
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Evolutionary Biologist
- Biologist and Conservationist
Related Books
Description
In this course you will learn how evolution works. You will develop an understanding of evolutionary processes and their formative power. You will see how evolution has shaped biodiversity, and continuously influences our daily life. Evolution impacts human endeavors as varied as medicine, agriculture, psychology, economy, and culture. It is the major unifying principle for biology and a fundamental natural law. In five weeks we will make evolution accessible for you and help you to recognize evolutionary processes around you, in nature as well as in society. We make use of the unique collection of Naturalis, the natural history museum in Leiden, but also take you to the field. Using classical and up-to-date examples, we will show you how scientists address evolutionary questions. In the last module, we will have a look at the future. How will humans evolve? And how do we influence our own evolution and that of other organisms?
Outline
- Welcome to the course Evolution Today
- How to succeed in your online class?
- Meet the instructors & the team
- Leiden University: Facts & Figures
- Community Guidelines
- What is your learning path?
- Do we change?
- Introduction
- Natural Selection
- Natural Selection in the Field
- Dialogue
- Sexual selection
- Evolution is Everywhere
- Observe it with your own eyes!
- Online lab simulated evolution
- Eyes, HIV and Human Body Height
- Science evolves
- Natural Selection
- Natural Selection in the Field
- Human Evolution
- Sexual Selection
- Test your knowledge
- How do we change?
- Introduction
- DNA
- Mutation
- Dialogue
- Evo-devo
- Imperfect weasels
- Gene Switches
- E-tivity: translating a short human gene
- E-tivity: mutations in human genes
- E-tivity: playing with Hox-genes
- Test your knowledge
- Who is this "we" anyway?
- Introduction
- Levels of Organization
- Selfish Units
- Supressing Selfishness
- Promoting Collaboration
- Discussion
- The false allure of group selection by Steven Pinker
- Distinguishing between Selfish DNA and The Selfish Gene
- Selfish cells
- Video lecture on behavioral evolution by Robert Sapolsky
- Green beards and eusociality in the Red Imported Fire Ant
- Units of Selection
- The Good of the Species
- Single Round Prisoner's Dilemma
- Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma
- Hamilton's rule
- Test your knowledge
- How have we (and haven't we) changed?
- Introduction
- Contingencies
- Trade-offs and Compromises
- Evolutionary Inertia
- Interview with Dr. Paul Ewald
- Similarity and relatedness
- "Living fossils" and evolutionary inertia
- Test your knowledge
- How will we change?
- How will we change?
- The Future Evolution of Humans
- Human-Induced Rapid Evolutionary Change (HIREC)
- Novel Ecosystems
- Evolutionary Thinking
- Current evolution in humans
- Videos on fast evolution in guppy fish
- Op-ed on novel ecosystems from the New York Times
- An evolutionary computer game ("Niche")
- Selection in humans today
- Cities and caves
- Tele-coupling
- Test your knowledge
- Final Exam of the Course
Summary of User Reviews
Discover the latest insights into the theory of evolution with Evolution Today course on Coursera. Students have praised the course for its engaging lectures and comprehensive coverage of the subject matter.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
engaging lecturesPros from User Reviews
- Comprehensive coverage of the topic
- Well-structured course materials
- Easy to follow lectures
- Instructors are knowledgeable and responsive
- Engaging quizzes and assignments
Cons from User Reviews
- Some lectures may be too basic for advanced learners
- Limited interaction with other students
- Course materials may not be updated frequently
- Some technical issues with the platform
- Not enough real-world examples
Menno Schilthuizen
4.6 Raiting
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