BIOL 480

Why do humans grow old, get sick, and die? This course applies principles of evolutionary biology to answer this question. Core concepts include human adaptation to past environments, population genetic consequences of early human dispersal, trade-offs between reproduction and lifespan, human-pathogen coevolution, and cancer as an evolutionary process. Case studies explore how evolutionary medicine can improve patient treatment and public health. Credit will be granted for only one of BIOL 480 and BIOL 382 (2022-2024).