Darwin's Origin of Species and Evolution (in a modern scientific context)

In this course, you will learn about the empirical and historical foundations of evolutionary theory, which started long before Charles Darwin, and led to the publication in 1859 of his seminal Origin of Species. Chapter after chapter, you will also discover and discuss together how this book, which Darwin wrote in only a few weeks, is in fact a 500 pages-long abstract summarizing tens of thousands of pages of the observations he made around the world for 25 years or so. In addition, you will read for each chapter a selection of recent scientific publications and hopefully, better appreciate how exhaustive and visionary Darwin's knowledge and synthesis of the evolutionary processes and mechanisms were, and why this book, which literally shook the religious foundations and exacerbated passion all around the world, is still relevant today. Qualifikationsziele: After this course, students will have a better understanding of the historical importance of the seminal work of Charles Darwin and his Origin of Species, and of the main processes and mechanisms underlying the evolution and diversity of life (e.g., inheritance and variation of traits, and their selection over time). They will also learn how to search and critically read scientific literature to make a presentation on the evolutionary process and pattern of their choice, and to appreciate the importance of the peer-review process in Science by providing (and receiving) constructive feed back on the work and assignments of the classmates.

The Seminar + Übung take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.