Writing the final pages of his masterpiece The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin looked ahead to the work yet to be done on his groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection. “In the distant future,” he predicted, “I see open fields for far more important researches.”
Author(s): Scott Solomon
Series: The Great Courses
Publisher: The Teaching Company
Year: 2019-01
Language: English
Pages: 294
Tags: Darwin; Evolution; Science
Professor's Biography......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 4
Course Scope......Page 7
Lecture 1 — What Darwin Knew and Why It Still Matters......Page 10
HMS Beagle......Page 11
The Galapagos Islands......Page 12
How Species Change......Page 13
Darwin’s Delay......Page 14
Sexual Selection......Page 16
Readings......Page 17
Lecture 2 — Inheritance: Darwin’s Missing Link......Page 19
Lamarck......Page 20
Mendel......Page 21
Morgan......Page 24
Dobzhansky......Page 26
Questions......Page 28
Lecture 3 — Genome Mutations: Evolution’s Raw Material......Page 29
DNA and Genes......Page 30
Genetic Mutations......Page 32
Sanger Sequencing......Page 33
Next-Generation Sequencing......Page 35
Readings......Page 37
Questions......Page 38
Lecture 4 — Gene Flow versus Natural Selection......Page 40
Darwin’s Famous Finches......Page 41
Making Gene Flow More or Less Likely......Page 44
Adding to the Modern Synthesis......Page 47
Questions......Page 49
Lecture 5 — Geology and Genes: The Geography of Life......Page 50
Plate Tectonics plus Genetic Studies......Page 51
Tectonic Plates and Evolution......Page 54
Biogeographical Divisions......Page 56
Readings......Page 58
Questions......Page 59
Lecture 6 — Genetic Drift: When Evolution Is Random......Page 60
A Metaphor for Genetic Drift......Page 61
Adding More to the Modern Synthesis......Page 62
The Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium......Page 64
Effects of Genetic Drift......Page 65
The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution......Page 66
Readings......Page 67
Questions......Page 68
Lecture 7 — Rapid Evolution within Species......Page 69
Evolution in Galapagos Finches......Page 70
Effects of Human Actions on Species......Page 72
Readings......Page 76
Questions......Page 77
Lecture 8 — Evolution in the Lab......Page 78
Experiments with Microorganisms......Page 79
The Long-Term Evolution Experiment......Page 80
Research on Beneficial Mutations......Page 82
Digital Life Simulations......Page 84
Questions......Page 85
Lecture 9 — The Many Origins of Species......Page 86
From Distinct Varieties to Distinct Species......Page 87
How Variations Lead to Different Species......Page 89
The Many Species of Insects......Page 91
Readings......Page 93
Questions......Page 94
Lecture 10 — Cambrian Explosion to Dinosaur Extinction......Page 96
The Diversity of the Cambrian Period......Page 97
Mass Extinctions......Page 100
Readings......Page 103
Questions......Page 104
Lecture 11 — Reconstructing the Tree of Life with DNA......Page 105
Early Trees of Life......Page 106
Hennig’s Cladistic Approach......Page 108
DNA Sequence Data......Page 111
Woese’s Discovery......Page 113
Questions......Page 114
Lecture 12 — Human Evolution in All Directions......Page 115
Comparing Humans and Great Apes......Page 116
The Evolutionary Tree of Hominins......Page 120
Enter Homo sapiens......Page 122
Readings......Page 123
Questions......Page 124
Lecture 13 — Evolution Doesn’t Repeat, but It Rhymes......Page 125
Convergent Evolution......Page 126
Studying Lizards in the Caribbean Islands......Page 127
The History of Evolution......Page 129
Questions......Page 132
Lecture 14 — The Evolution of Extreme Life......Page 133
Extreme Environments of Early Life......Page 134
Evolutionary Adaptations of Extremophiles......Page 135
Viruses: The Most Extreme Form of Life?......Page 137
Questions......Page 141
Lecture 15 — Imperfect Nature: Ad Hoc Body Designs......Page 142
How the Human Eye Works......Page 143
The Evolution of Eyes......Page 146
Questions......Page 150
Lecture 16 — The Sterile Worker Paradox......Page 152
The Evolution of Eusociality......Page 153
Eusociality with Sterile Workers......Page 154
Kin Selection......Page 156
Preadaptations to Evolving Sociality......Page 158
Questions......Page 160
Lecture 17 — Coevolution: Peace Accords and Arms Races......Page 161
Coevolution......Page 162
Antagonistic Coevolution......Page 164
Cospeciation......Page 166
Questions......Page 168
Lecture 18 — Microbiomes: Evolution with Small Partners......Page 170
Microbial Partnerships......Page 171
Endosymbiosis......Page 173
The Human Microbiome......Page 175
Holobionts......Page 177
Questions......Page 178
Lecture 19 — The Evolution of Brains and Behavior......Page 179
The Study of Behavior......Page 180
Genetic Changes......Page 181
Brian Comparisons......Page 184
Brain Size and Communication......Page 185
Questions......Page 187
Lecture 20 — The Evolution of Sex and Parenting......Page 188
Sexual Selection......Page 189
Sexual Reproduction......Page 191
Readings......Page 195
Questions......Page 196
Lecture 21 — The Evolution of Aging and Death......Page 197
Theories of Aging and Death......Page 198
How Organisms Invest Their Energy......Page 201
Senescence in Humans......Page 203
Questions......Page 205
Lecture 22 — Evolutionary Medicine......Page 206
The Story of HIV/AIDS......Page 207
A Theory of Virulence......Page 209
Vaccines......Page 211
Rapid Evolution of Resistance......Page 212
Questions......Page 214
Lecture 23 — Gene Editing and Directed Evolution......Page 215
Artificial Selection......Page 216
Genetic Manipulation......Page 218
Readings......Page 222
Questions......Page 223
Lecture 24 — The Future of Human Evolution......Page 224
Evolutionary Change......Page 225
Culture......Page 226
Natural Selection......Page 227
Mutations......Page 229
Coevolution......Page 230
Technology......Page 231
Readings......Page 232
Questions......Page 233
Lecture 1......Page 234
Lecture 2......Page 235
Lecture 3......Page 236
Lecture 6......Page 240
Lecture 7......Page 241
Lecture 9......Page 243
Lecture 10......Page 245
Lecture 11......Page 246
Lecture 12......Page 247
Lecture 13......Page 248
Lecture 14......Page 249
Lecture 15......Page 250
Lecture 16......Page 251
Lecture 17......Page 252
Lecture 18......Page 253
Lecture 19......Page 254
Lecture 20......Page 256
Lecture 21......Page 257
Lecture 22......Page 258
Lecture 23......Page 259
Lecture 24......Page 260
Charles Darwin and His Contemporaries......Page 262
Fossil Discoveries, Heredity, and Genes......Page 265
Modern Synthesis Expanded: The Molecular Revolution, New Branches on the Tree of Life, and Fast Evo......Page 266
The Genomic Era......Page 268
Glossary......Page 269
Bibliography......Page 279
Image Credit......Page 293
