NRSC 3000

This course provides students with an overview of the theory and principles of evolution, showcased by examples drawn from the diversity, comparative anatomy, ecology and life histories of the amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds (the ‘tetrapods’). In doing so, students are introduced to the major tetrapod taxa. The lectures cover a comprehensive suite of topics, including the principles of Darwinian evolution, the history of evolution as revealed by geology, phylogeny versus cladistics, the building blocks of variation (genes, alleles, mutation, heredity and fitness), adaptation, convergence, kin selection and sexual selection. Interspersed are lectures focusing on the specific evolution of the tetrapod classes. Laboratory work also explores the evolutionary relationships of the tetrapods, while enabling students to recognize and identify the main tetrapod taxa in BC and the world.