Evolution

Prerequisites: BIOL BC1500, 1501, 1502, 1503 or equivalent

Theodosius Dobzhansky—an influential evolutionary biologist who spent much of his career at Columbia University—famously wrote, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” Evolution underlies all biodiversity, from the COVID-19 virus to redwood trees, from New York rats to our own bodies and minds. This course introduces students to the evolutionary processes at all scales, from molecular evolution and population genetics within single species, to macro patterns of diversification and evolution in deep time as studies through phylogenies and the fossil record. The overarching goal of the course is for students to gain a solid command of the major concepts in evolutionary theory and how they are interweaved with all life around us.