Evolution

Evolution

Evolution and genetics are the two great unifying themes in biology. At one level evolution can be defined as the changes in gene frequencies in populations with time. An understanding of population genetics and evolutionary genetics is necessary to understand fundamental processes of evolutionary change, and importantly, is necessary to understand the genetic make-up of existing populations observed and studied in real time. This theoretical background is also necessary to understand the use of DNA sequence data and related information in deducing evolutionary relationships.

After completing the module, you will be able to:

• Understand the quantitative aspects of fundamental evolutionary and popular genetic processes at a simple level

• Be able to critically analyse the 'modern synthesis' of Darwinism and genetics

• Understand the definition of, and the distinction between, the different kinds of genetic polymorphism observed in populations

• Understand how polymorphism is maintained

• Be able to critically analyse the consequences of molecular evolutionary theory

• Understand molecular clocks