Evolution Through Natural Selection - OpenLearn - The Open University

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Evolution through natural selection

Free course Evolution through natural selection Free statement of participation on completion

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Course description

Course content

Course reviews

In this free course, Evolution through natural selection, we describe the theory of evolution by natural selection as proposed by Charles Darwin in his book, first published in 1859, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. We will look at natural selection as Darwin did, taking inheritance for granted, but ignoring the mechanisms underlying it.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

understand that by biological evolution we mean that many of the organisms that inhabit the Earth today are different from those that inhabited it in the past
understand that natural selection is one of several processes that can bring about evolution, although it can also promote stability rather than change
understand that the four propositions underlying Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection are: (1) more individuals are produced than can survive; (2) there is therefore a struggle for existence; (3) individuals within a species show variation; and (4) offspring tend to inherit their parents' characters
understand that the three necessary and sufficient conditions for natural selection to occur are: (1) a struggle for existence; (2) variation; and (3) inheritance
understand that Endler's experiment with guppies demonstrated that evolution through natural selection can occur in relatively few generations.

Enter course

First Published: 09/08/2012

Updated: 16/03/2016

You can start this course right now without signing-up. Click on any of the course content sections below to start at any point in this course. If you want to be able to track your progress, earn a free Statement of Participation, and access all course quizzes and activities, sign-up.

Course content

Introduction
Learning outcomes
1 Charles Darwin
- 1 Charles Darwin
2 Darwin and natural selection
- 2 Darwin and natural selection
3 Natural selection in the guppy
- 3.1 Introduction
- 3.2 Number of progeny
- 3.3 The struggle for existence
- 3.4 Variation
- 3.5 Inheritance
4 Other influences on evolution
- 10.4 Summary
Conclusion
Acknowledgements

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1 2 3 4 5 Average rating 4.6 out of 5, based on 24 ratings.

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Course reviews

Justin Armoogum 27 July 2025 6:57AM 1 2 3 4 5 Rating entered. This is an excellent and informative course on Natural Selection. Flag As Offensive
HUZEFA Jivanjee 8 August 2024 7:13AM 1 2 3 4 5 Rating entered. Brief yet provided motivation for further and deep exploration of the topic. Flag As Offensive

More reviews Total 13 reviews

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Copyright information

Creative commons: The Open University is proud to release this free course under a Creative Commons licence.

However, any third-party materials featured within it are used with permission and are not ours to give away. These materials are not subject to the Creative Commons licence. See terms and conditions377 and our FAQs378.

Full copyright details can be found in the Acknowledgements section of each week.

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

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