We Are Opening a Self-Guided Section of Dr. Lyons-Weiler's Course $100 Off
Originally $160, the 1st 15 lectures are yours for only $60. Act Now, Discount Offer expires 9/7/2024
IPAK-EDU
Principles of Evolution
Syllabus - FALL, 2024 - Subject to Change
The primary goal of this course is to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms that underlie the complexity and diversity of life forms, with a specific focus on evolutionary theory. The program seeks to describe, predict, and understand the intricate processes that govern evolutionary changes. While the biological aspects of evolution form the core of the research that provides evidence, the program also extends its scope to explore the philosophical and existential implications of evolutionary understanding. Ultimately, the program aspires to develop a unified, evidence-based framework that can comprehensively account for the wide array of phenomena observed in the field of evolutionary biology. This multidisciplinary approach aims to bridge gaps between theoretical constructs and empirical data, fostering a holistic understanding that could have far-reaching implications for science, philosophy, and the human understanding of existence.
Students who attend this course will have the opportunity to master, in great detail, the advanced principles of evolutionary biology with a focus on the mechanisms and dynamic processes of evolutionary change over time. We will achieve this by tracing the origins of - and the evolution of - thoughts about evolution based on evidence over time.
Instructor: James Lyons-Weiler, PhD
Recommended Text:
Evolution Fifth Edition Douglas Futuyma and Mark Kirkpatrick
SEMESTER 1 - LECTURES 1-15 - SELF-PACED
Early Ideas of Evolutionary Thought
Darwin and Wallace
Major Evolutionary Transitions (Tree of Life)
Major Evolutionary Transitions (Animals)
The Book of Life
Genetics Review
Population Genetics (Mutation, Migration, Drift, Selection, Population Size & Structure)
Adaptation - Natural Selection
Population Genetics - Fitness, Adaptive Landscapes, Fitness Tunneling
Selection (Individual, Group)
Interdemic Migration, Selection at Two Loci, Kin Selection
Evolution of Quantitative Traits; Norms of Reaction, Phenotypic Plasticity, Gene x Environment Interactions
Neutral Evolution and Nearly Neutral Evolution
Genetic, Genomic and Protein Evolution
Evolution of Gene Regulatory Networks
SEMESTER 2 WILL INCLUDE
EvoDevo
Competition and Coevolution
Speciation
Species Concepts
The Evolution of Sociality
Human Evolution
The Evolution of Consciousness
Evolution of Human Societies
Evolution and Social Issues
I had the pleasure of watching (most of) these lectures live. I am known for my critiques of applications of Darwin's theory that are too broad and over-simplified. Lyons-Weiler is not that kind of evolutionary theorist. His lectures brought all the complexity of Darwin's original theory and subsequent developments to the fore. As always, his lectures are very high level. But I highly recommend learning that way instead of starting with a dumbed-down approach; dumbing down always distorts. No matter what level of Biology you're at, you will learn from this series.