WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2009-2010       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Life on Planet Earth: Diversity, Evolution, and Extinction
BIOL 111
Spring 2010 not offered
Crosslisting: E&ES 111

Evolution is the basic unifying theory for biological systems, and it is generally agreed that "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." There is, however, no agreement on how exactly evolution works. New paleontological discoveries, as well as the development of theories on the close interaction between organisms and their environment, have profoundly changed the way in which earth scientists look at evolution. At the same time, rapid accumulation of molecular information and new techniques in developmental biology have revolutionized the view of evolution of life scientists. This course is designed to combine the information from life and earth sciences to provide basic knowledge about animal diversity, evolution, and broad-based environmental issues to nonscience students. We will discuss evolutionary changes over geological time and the extrinsic (environmental) and intrinsic (biotic) factors that affected that change, introducing students to the basic history of life on our planet. We will look into fundamental issues of organismic diversity with an understanding of the environmental factors that constitute natural selection pressures. We will also address the historical development of evolutionary theory to provide understanding of the way in which one of the major modern scientific insights--evolution--has developed in historical times.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM BIOL
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: None

Last Updated on OCT-03-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459