Skarp
Understanding Evolution: How Natural Selection Shapes Life
This course gives you a clear, structured introduction to the theory of evolution and the mechanism of natural selection. You will learn how species change over time, how evidence from fossils, DNA, and living organisms supports evolution, and how natural selection operates in real-world examples, including recent research.
Course Content
8 modules · 2h total
What Is Evolution? Big Ideas and Basic Terms
Introduce the core idea of biological evolution as change in populations over time and clarify key vocabulary needed for the rest of the course.
The Logic of Natural Selection: Variation to Adaptation
Explore how natural selection works step by step, from variation in traits to differences in survival and reproduction, leading to adaptation.
Genes, Mutations, and Heredity: The Raw Material of Evolution
Connect evolution to genetics by explaining how DNA, genes, and mutations create heritable variation that natural selection can act on.
Evidence for Evolution: Fossils, Bodies, and DNA
Survey the main lines of scientific evidence that support evolution, including fossils, comparative anatomy, and molecular data.
Speciation and the Tree of Life
Explain how new species form and how scientists represent evolutionary relationships using branching diagrams like phylogenetic trees.
Real-World Natural Selection: From Bacteria to Birds
Look at concrete case studies of natural selection in action, including antibiotic resistance, changing beak sizes in birds, and rapid evolution in response to human activity.
Human Evolution and Our Place in Nature
Introduce the main ideas and evidence about human evolution, including fossils, DNA evidence, and the relationship between humans and other primates.
Modern Evolutionary Science and Common Misconceptions
Summarize the modern understanding of evolution, clarify frequent misunderstandings, and briefly touch on current research directions in evolutionary biology.
Read the Textbook
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When scientists talk about **biological evolution**, they are not talking about one animal suddenly turning into another kind of animal.
**Working definition (modern biology):**
> **Evolution is a change in the heritable traits of a population over many generations.**