Admission requirements
This course is part of the minor Human Evolution and registration is restricted to students who followed the preceding courses of this minor.
Description
Ageing and disease are both negative traits that could have detrimental effects on an individual. Why would natural selection not act against these traits? Here we answer the questions ‘Why do we age?’ and ‘Why are we susceptible to disease?’, discussing the several evolutionary theories of ageing that have been postulated over the years using the original papers. We look at the epidemiology of ageing in recent history, using evolutionary medicine to differentiate between proximate and ultimate causes of disease. Finally, we address the mismatch between our evolutionary past and modern environment as a cause of the current disease, including diseases of affluence, but also autoimmune diseases and mental disorders. In the last week, you will work on your final essay of the half minor in which you will critically evaluate the scientific evidence behind a popular scientific article on one of the topics: diet and digestive system, ageing and life histories, immune system and the hygiene hypothesis, or brain and evolutionary psychiatry. We will debate about the outcomes of your studies in a final plenary discussion.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, students are able to:
can explain why the human evolutionary past and present are mismatched.
can explain why ageing is a consequence of the abovementioned evolutionary mismatch.
can critically evaluate the hypotheses that diseases of affluence, autoimmune diseases and mental disorders are consequences of evolutionary mismatches
can explain why ageing and some diseases, such as cancer, are not distinct phenomena but are different aspects of the same phenomenon.
can critically evaluate and discuss primary scientific literature.
Timetable
A detailed time table will be published on Brightspace.
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Lectures and reading primary literature. In the last week, you will work on your final essay (life histories, digestive system and diet, immune system, or brain)
Assessment method
Your contribution to the final discussion (pass/fail) and final essay (100% grade) will be judged by teachers from at least two of the disciplines Biology, Archaeology or Medicine.
Feedback on your essay will be provided on Brightspace and upon appointment.
Minimum grade:
Courses require a minimum, unrounded 5.5 grade to complete.
If a course has 2 or more written partial exams, the minimum grade only applies to the weighted average of the exams.
For partial grades from components other than exams (e.g. practicals, seminars, writing assignments), the bottom grade does apply to the individual components.
Please refer to the Student Charter for an overview of regulations.
Reading list
Compulsory book: R. Boyd & J.B. Silk; How Humans Evolved, 8th edition, 2018; Norton Publishers.
Note: earlier editions as well as the 9th edition, loose leaf edition, and e-book are also acceptable.
Primary literature t.b.a.
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to apply.
Contact
Coordinator: Dr. M. van der Zee and Dr. B. Everts
Remarks
Brightspace will be used for communication
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.