Introduction to Evolutionary Biology: Genes to Behaviour

About this course

This course gives you a solid grounding in one of biology's most fundamental disciplines, taking you from the basics of how genes build traits all the way through to the evolution of complex animal behaviour. You'll learn how mutations generate new traits, how natural selection, sexual selection, and genetic drift cause those traits to spread, and how cost-benefit optimality modelling can help us predict which behaviours evolve and why. Whether you're new to evolutionary biology or looking to deepen your understanding, this course offers a clear and engaging pathway through the subject. Along the way, you'll encounter fascinating real-world applications — from antibiotic resistance and cancer treatment to climate change and even the evolution of folklore. By the end of the course, you'll be able to explain where new traits come from, why some spread and others don't, and how evolutionary thinking can be applied to solve real-world problems across medicine, conservation, and beyond. If you've ever wondered why living things are the way they are, this course will help you find out.