BIOL2451: EVOLUTION

• Level 1 Organisms and Environment (BIOL1161); Level 1 Genetics (BIOL1171)

• At least one other Level 2 Biological Sciences Module

• None

• To study the molecular basis of evolutionary change.
• To study the processes by which evolutionary change takes place.
• To relate the diversity of living organisms to the evolutionary processes that promote change and conserve function

• Genome structure and mutations the raw material of evolution.
• Evolving phenotypes and the interaction between evolution and development.
• How populations evolve by natural selection and genetic drift.
• The concept of the species and how new species evolve.
• Interpreting evolutionary histories (phylogenies) and species radiations.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• The nature of mutations and when they may lead to evolutionary change.
• Knowledge of evolutionary processes in natural populations.
• Knowledge of the nature of species and the process of speciation.
• Knowledge of the major patterns of organismal diversity and the mechanisms that determine species radiations.

Subject-specific Skills:

• To be able to understand and apply basic mathematical principles to an understanding of evolutionary processes.
• To be able to apply evolutionary principles to the classification of biodiversity.

Key Skills:

• Numeracy, in data analysis, and calculations involved in data handling problems.
• IT skills, in use of software packages.
• Communication skills, using the written word and graphics, involved in evolution practical reports.
• Team work.
• Self-motivation, in self-guided learning.

• Lectures deliver subject-specific knowledge.
• Workshops reinforce subject-specific knowledge and understanding gained from lectures and the development of key and subject-specific skills.
• Practical Exercises allow students to utilise subject-specific knowledge gained from lectures, and support the development of key and subject-specific skills.
• Tutorials give enhancement of the student learning experience, supporting attainment of all learning outcomes.
• Self-guided learning contributes to subject-specific knowledge and self-motivation.
• Practical Exercises are based on subject-specific knowledge and demonstrate subject-specific skills in understanding experimental work and data analysis.
• Problem Exercises (Data Handling) demonstrate subject-specific skills in data handling and key skills in numeracy.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our FAQ webpages, Help page or our glossary of terms. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.