ENV BIOL 2501 - Evolutionary Biology II

This course addresses key components of evolutionary biology from the perspective of molecular evolution, from the perspective of individual organisms evolving attributes to cope with and exploit spatially and/or temporally variable and different environments, and from a macro-evolutionary perspective. Natural selection, sexual selection, kin selection and inclusive fitness are used to develop an understanding of the behavioural, morphological and physiological adaptations of individual organisms to their environments, as well as an understanding of the interactions and co-evolutionary processes that occur between organisms both intra- and inter-specific (reproductive strategies, mating systems, competition, predator-prey, plant-herbivore, host-parasite, mutualisms, facilitation). Molecular evolution and population genetics provide the mechanics for evolution. Knowledge of these and biogeographic changes are used to develop the ideas of species and speciation, to construct phylogenies, and to interpret the fossil record and patterns of extinction