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Evolution Today

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Evolution Today

Instructors: Menno Schilthuizen

10,644 already enrolled

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

170 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

3 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

170 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

3 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

23 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

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There are 6 modules in this course

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?

Module details

Great that you are joining us! In this course you will learn about Evolution. Before you start with this course we invite you to first take a look around and meet your fellow learners. We would like to know what brings you here and what you would like to get out of the course. If you encounter any difficulties while studying, please let us know in the forum. For technical difficulties or questions regarding the course certificate, you can always contact the Coursera Learner Helpdesk. Good luck & we hope you will enjoy studying in this course!

What's included

1 video1 reading1 discussion prompt1 plugin

In this module, you are going to learn that a very powerful mechanism, natural selection, leads to evolutionary change. We are going to have a detailed look at what is required for this natural selection. And, knowing these conditions, we can judge whether traits in humans are evolving at the moment. This is a surprisingly simple module. I am looking forward to discuss human evolution with you at the end!

What's included

5 videos5 readings5 assignments4 discussion prompts

5 videosTotal 20 minutes

Introduction0 minutes
Natural Selection4 minutes
Natural Selection in the Field5 minutes
Dialogue6 minutes
Sexual selection5 minutes

5 readingsTotal 60 minutes

Evolution is Everywhere5 minutes
Observe it with your own eyes!10 minutes
Online lab simulated evolution30 minutes
Eyes, HIV and Human Body Height10 minutes
Science evolves5 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 377 minutes

Test your knowledge10 minutes
Natural Selection180 minutes
Natural Selection in the Field3 minutes
Human Evolution180 minutes
Sexual Selection4 minutes

4 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

Let's talk about human evolution10 minutes
Let's talk about muscles10 minutes
Let's talk about our heads10 minutes
Let's talk about human evolution in general10 minutes

This is a real puzzle-module. We are going to decipher the language of DNA, and see that mutations in this DNA lead to new variation. As we saw, variation is the raw material for natural selection. Thus, take your pen and pencil and unravel with me the code of your own DNA!

What's included

5 videos2 readings4 assignments

5 videosTotal 20 minutes

Introduction1 minute
DNA4 minutes
Mutation5 minutes
Dialogue3 minutes
Evo-devo8 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Imperfect weasels10 minutes
Gene Switches10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes

Test your knowledge15 minutes
E-tivity: translating a short human gene15 minutes
E-tivity: mutations in human genes15 minutes
E-tivity: playing with Hox-genes5 minutes

In the first two modules, we have asked ourselves whether we experience evolutionary change, and if so, how this change comes about. In this module, we will explore who this "we" is anyway: is it us, the individual? Is it our species? Our genes? Who is in charge here?

What's included

6 videos5 readings6 assignments

6 videosTotal 35 minutes

Introduction1 minute
Levels of Organization5 minutes
Selfish Units8 minutes
Supressing Selfishness6 minutes
Promoting Collaboration8 minutes
Discussion7 minutes

5 readingsTotal 171 minutes

The false allure of group selection by Steven Pinker30 minutes
Distinguishing between Selfish DNA and The Selfish Gene1 minute
Selfish cells30 minutes
Video lecture on behavioral evolution by Robert Sapolsky90 minutes
Green beards and eusociality in the Red Imported Fire Ant20 minutes

6 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Test your knowledge30 minutes
Units of Selection5 minutes
The Good of the Species5 minutes
Single Round Prisoner's Dilemma5 minutes
Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma10 minutes
Hamilton's rule5 minutes

In this module, we will take a look at the limitations to evolution. Despite the strength of the process of natural selection, some things simply are not possible. Evolution has to play by the rules, and this module will explore what those rules are.

What's included

4 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review3 discussion prompts

4 videosTotal 21 minutes

Introduction4 minutes
Contingencies7 minutes
Trade-offs and Compromises6 minutes
Evolutionary Inertia5 minutes

1 readingTotal 10 minutes

Interview with Dr. Paul Ewald10 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 240 minutes

Test your knowledge30 minutes
Similarity and relatedness30 minutes
"Living fossils" and evolutionary inertia180 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 120 minutes

Maladaptation120 minutes

3 discussion promptsTotal 30 minutes

Can humans evolve better eyes?10 minutes
Can you think of other trade-offs?10 minutes
Trade-offs and sex in bedbugs10 minutes

In this module, we will have a look at the future. How will humans evolve, and, as our impact on the world increases, how will we affect the evolution of other organisms?