为什么发明疫苗来消灭脊髓灰质炎比控制流感或艾滋病容易？有没有“语言基因”的自然选择？为什么没有动物长轮子？什么时候“最大化适应”导致进化灭绝？性别和寄生虫如何相关？为什么蛇不吃草？为什么我们的眼睛不长在脑袋后面？现代基因组学是如何说明和挑战这一领域的？
Why has it been easier to develop a vaccine to eliminate polio than to control influenza or AIDS? Has there been natural selection for a 'language gene'? Why are there no animals with wheels? When does 'maximizing fitness' lead to evolutionary extinction? How are sex and parasites related? Why don't snakes eat grass? Why don't we have eyes in the back of our heads? How does modern genomics illustrate and challenge the field?
这门课从计算、建模和工程方面来分析进化。在模型建立和分析进化数据方面，这门课有大量的动手实验。
This course analyzes evolution from a computational, modeling, and engineering perspective. The course has extensive hands-on laboratory exercises in model-building and analyzing evolutionary data.
技术需求
需要Java® plug-in软件 运行本课程网页上的Java® 文件。需要解压缩软件，比如 Winzip® 或 StuffIt®，来打开本课程网页上的 .tar文件。可以用任何文本编辑软件查看本课程网页上的.fas 和.fasta文件。
Java® plug-in software is required to run the Java® files found on this course site. File decompression software, such as Winzip® or StuffIt®, is required to open the .tar files found on this course site. Any text editor can be used to view the .fas and .fasta files found on this course site.
