Examination of evolution, the central paradigm of biology, at the level of populations, species, and lineages, with an added emphasis on a realistic view of the human body as a product of natural selection: functional and remarkable in many ways, but also flawed in many ways, for good evolutionary reasons. Topics include the genetics of populations, including the patterns among human populations, the definition of species, the roles of natural selection and chance in evolution, the evolution of sex, the impact of sexual selection, and the importance of evolutionary thinking in medicine where we will explore fundamental evolutionary principles such as arms races, maladaptation, evolutionary mismatch, and evolutionary theories of senescence and their connections to medicine. Class work emphasizes collaborative work and reading and interpreting primary literature. Labs include hands-on assessments of genetic variation in populations using DNA analyses; exploration of computer simulations to understand the effects of genetic drift and student-designed experiments to assess the effects of natural selection in populations.

This course has a required co-requisite Laboratory - BISC 202L.

Units: 1.25

Max Enrollment: 12

Prerequisites: (BISC 111, BISC 111T, BISC 113, or BISC 113Y) or by permission of the instructor. (BISC 110, BISC 110P, BISC 112, or BISC 112Y is strongly recommended.) Not open to students who have taken BISC 312.

Distribution Requirements: LAB - Natural and Physical Sciences Laboratory; NPS - Natural and Physical Sciences

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Not Offered; Spring