Module Directory

This module will provide a thorough overview of this societally important subject, from its history to recent research.

The module will introduce evolutionary theory across core conceptual and mathematical models covering evolutionary fitness, selection, novelty, selfishness and cooperation, coevolution, diversification, and extinction. Linked PC-Lab practical's will provide hands-on opportunities to apply these concepts, for example to predict evolutionary change and patterns of species diversification or extinction in a dynamic world.

The aims of this module are:

• To introduce students to a range of core concepts to build a strong overview of evolutionary theory and its historical and modern development.


• To provide students with an opportunity to explore the key evolutionary concepts across 10 linked topics (see full syllabus).


• To enable students to engage with the quantitative and mathematical concepts that are key to evolutionary theory and thoroughly develop these through intuitive explanations, in-lecture demonstrations and 3 hands-on PC-Lab practicals.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of core concepts in evolutionary theory.


2. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and recent development of evolutionary theory.


3. Discuss the interplay between life and the physical environment in evolution.


4. Understand and outline logical evolutionary arguments.


5. Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of theoretical and historical patterns of global species diversity.


6. Discuss and comment upon how modern and future environmental changes can be predicted to affect biodiversity and evolution, and understand associated predictive uncertainty.


7. Develop and apply an understanding of mathematical modelling and hypothesis testing in evolutionary science.


8. Develop competence in modern computational methods (including use of the Python programming language) for evolutionary and ecological modelling.

The theory of evolution provides general scientific explanations for the nature and history of life. Evolutionary theory underpins the life sciences with applications across ecology, genetics, biomedicine, pathogens and immunology, cancer biology and beyond.

Syllabus

• Development of evolutionary theory including Darwinism, the modern synthesis.


• Key concepts of Darwinian evolutionary theory and outstanding questions.


• Key concepts of the modern synthesis and outstanding questions. This topic will also include positive directed learning resources, in line with the decolonising the curriculum program.


• Evolutionary fitness including definitions and measurement, inclusive fitness and kin selection.


• Selection. Contributions of historical researchers such as Fisher, definitions and models of natural selection, sexual selection.


• Null models and the detection of evolution by natural selection. Including Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and deviations under natural selection.


• The evolution of novelty. Including mutation waiting times, rates, macroevolution and complexity.


• The evolution of selfishness, cooperation and altruism. Including kin selection, the Price equation.


• Coevolution including Müllerian and Batesian mimicry.


• Diversification including phylogenetic diversification, speciation and phylogeny, speciation models.


• Extinction, Birth-death models, mass extinction and current biodiversity crisis.


• The future of evolutionary theory including outstanding questions and potential further developments, incorporating active research.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 1-hour lecture per week.
• Three 3-hour PC Lab Practical sessions.