Introduction to Genetics and Evolution Online Course: Duke University

A whirlwind introduction to evolution and genetics, from basic principles to current applications, including how disease genes are mapped, areas or research in evolutionary genetics, and how we leverage evolutionary concepts to aid humanity.

About the Course
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology.

This course provides the basic biology you need to understand all of these issues better, tries to clarify some misconceptions, and tries to prepare students for future, more advanced coursework in Biology. No prior coursework is assumed.

Course Syllabus

• Evidence for evolution
• Introduction to basic genetics
• Recombination and genetic mapping simple traits
• Complications to genetic mapping
• Genes vs. environment
• Basic population genetics and Hardy-Weinberg
• Gene flow, differentiation, inbreeding
• Natural selection and genetic drift
• Molecular evolution
• Adaptive behaviors and sexual selection
• Species formation and phylogenetics
• Evolutionary applications and misapplications

Course Sessions
January 2, 2015 - March 23, 2015

For further information, click here.