Genetics and Evolution

Full course description

In Biology two kinds of theories are used to explain phenomena in the living world surrounding us: proximate-causal theories and ultimate causal theories. Molecular genetics is indispensable for understanding the proximate causation of phenomena, as it explains how genetic information, encoded in DNA, is transcribed and translated into molecular activity and biochemical processes involved in the development of characteristics (phenotypes) of an individual. Evolutionary biology aims to explain the ultimate causation of phenomena: why have specific genotypes been selected for through selection on phenotypes? This course joins ultimate as well as proximate explanations by combining evolution and Genetics. epigenetics mist

               The course starts with the mechanisms of evolutionary change: natural selection, inheritance and gene regulation. In order to make these mechanisms understandable for students, this course will deal with the essentials of molecular, Mendelian and population genetics. It then moves on to the evolution of life cycles, sex, and sexual selection. In the discussion of kin selection, genomic imprinting at the molecular level will be used to explain genetic conflicts between parents and their offspring. Conflict models are illustratied using Game theory.

The course concludes with the evolution of the human brain and the impact of evolutionary concepts in medicine. Besides theoretical and mathematical models, the course will treat the applications of such models in the fields of biology, medicine, and psychology. For example sexual selection will be used to explain the principles of partner selection in human beings (psychology), kin selection may be the basis in which to explain gestation -related diseases resulting from conflicts between paternal and maternal genes during pregnancies, and the evolution of sex will be treated in relation to mutation and recombination rates.