Spring 2027

Evolutionary Biology

Evolutionary biology course emphasizing how modern scientists study evolution, covering microevolution, macroevolution, systematics, quantitative genetics, and phylogenetic analyses.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Jesse Weber3.9/5

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · John Hawks

Assessment consisted of ten-point weekly quizzes based on lectures and readings, which one student found manageable enough to earn an A without reading the book.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Explain the major biological transitions and climatic events that shaped the history of life on Earth.

  • Use phylogenetic trees to study and describe evolution.

  • Describe sources of variation within populations and distinguish those that can or cannot be acted upon by selection.

  • Apply the principles of population genetics to explain microevolution and conservation genetics.

  • Apply the principles of quantitative genetics and developmental biology to predict trait evolution.

  • Explain how microevolutionary phenomena yield macroevolutionary patterns.

  • Deploy evolutionary principles to develop and evaluate plausible adaptive hypotheses.

  • Analyze and summarize primary literature in evolutionary biology.

Source: UW Guide 1 UW Guide 2 UW Guide 3

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

ZOOLOGY/​BIOLOGY 101,BIOLOGY/​BOTANY 130,ZOOLOGY/​BIOLOGY/​BOTANY 152,BIOCORE 381, (ANTHRO 105 and satisfied QR-A), or graduate/professional standing

ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027
Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.67/5 from 6 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.34 GPA, 60.6% A/AB (n=94 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.28 GPA, 62.5% A/AB (n=72 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.43 GPA, 65.8% A/AB (n=73 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

CAROL LEE is recorded teaching in Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JESSE WEBER is recorded teaching in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOHN HAWKS is recorded teaching in Spring 2016. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 790
DIS 301Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 302Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 303Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 304Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 790
DIS 301Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 302Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 303Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 304Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 800
DIS 301Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 302Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 303Classroom Instruction0 / 200
DIS 304Classroom Instruction0 / 200

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · John Hawks

The course relies on weekly quizzes rather than exams, and lecture videos are available online, allowing for flexible attendance.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.28 GPA, 62.5% A/AB (n=72 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.33 GPA, 51.7% A/AB (n=60 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.43 GPA, 65.8% A/AB (n=73 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · John Hawks

Assessment consisted of ten-point weekly quizzes based on lectures and readings, which one student found manageable enough to earn an A without reading the book.

Past student reviews · John Hawks

A student found the lectures somewhat boring but appreciated the instructor's enthusiasm and effort in teaching.

Topics

  • Microevolution, macroevolution, adaptation, and speciation
  • Systematics, taxonomy, quantitative genetics, and measurement of natural selection
  • Phylogenetic analyses of behavior, physiology, morphology, and biochemistry
  • Current controversies in evolution

Skills

  • Use phylogenetic trees to study and describe evolution
  • Apply population genetics principles to explain microevolution and conservation genetics
  • Develop and evaluate plausible adaptive hypotheses using evolutionary principles
  • Analyze and summarize primary literature in evolutionary biology

Grades

Historical instructor

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.14 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 · Spring 2027

Evolutionary Biology

Recorded 2026-10-14
ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 · Spring 2027

Evolutionary Biology

Recorded 2026-10-14
ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410 · Spring 2027

Evolutionary Biology

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
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    "term_id": "1274",
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    "title": "Evolutionary Biology",
    "credits_min": 3,
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    "credits_min": 3,
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    "offering_id": "1274:970:019295",
    "course_id": "ANTHRO/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 410",
    "course_uid": "course_2fc39f51c99cd64294f87ec4",
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Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "3990fab60373b41688820c9ba5e68cc57bd5074d41d54af5a410a072a10aa635",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}