Free evolution lectures from Yale

Principles of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, with Professor Stephen C. Stearns.

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This course presents the principles of evolution, ecology, and behavior for students beginning their study of biology and of the environment. It discusses major ideas and results in a manner accessible to all Yale College undergraduates. Recent advances have energized these fields with results that have implications well beyond their boundaries: ideas, mechanisms, and processes that should form part of the toolkit of all biologists and educated citizens

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The lecture list looks interesting:

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1. The Nature of Evolution: Selection, Inheritance, and History
2. Basic Transmission Genetics
3. Adaptive Evolution: Natural Selection
4. Neutral Evolution: Genetic Drift
5. How Selection Changes the Genetic Composition of Population
6. The Origin and Maintenance of Genetic Variation
7. The Importance of Development in Evolution
8. The Expression of Variation: Reaction Norms
9. The Evolution of Sex
10. Genomic Conflict
11. Life History Evolution
12. Sex Allocation
13. Sexual Selection
14. Species and Speciation
15. Phylogeny and Systematics
16. Comparative Methods: Trees, Maps, and Traits
17. Key Events in Evolution
18. Major Events in the Geological Theatre
19. The Fossil Record and Life's History
20. Coevolution
21. Evolutionary Medicine
22. The Impact of Evolutionary Thought on the Social Sciences
23. The Logic of Science
24. Climate and the Distribution of Life on Earth
25. Interactions with the Physical Environment
26. Population Growth: Density Effects
27. Interspecific Competition
28. Ecological Communities
29. Island Biogeography and Invasive Species
30. Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
31. Why So Many Species? The Factors Affecting Biodiversity
32. Economic Decisions for the Foraging Individual
33. Evolutionary Game Theory: Fighting and Contests
34. Mating Systems and Parental Care
35. Alternative Breeding Strategies
36. Selfishness and Altruism

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I haven't watched it - but I've gone through a fair number of the Yale courses. Once I've finished "Introduction to Political Philosophy" I may check it out.

Looks good indeed. Nice topic list, and it looks pretty comprehensive.The lectures also have transcripts in html, so you can access them for quotes etc.Bookmarked

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And mp3s - since I cycle everywhere I like to stick a lecture or two on my mp3 player so I can listen while I ride

Unfortunately the slides are only on the flash version, even more unfortunately they are largely illegible on the flash version.Delivery is a little "droi" (ie typical professorial lecture mode) as they say in New England, so be careful you don't fall asleep riding.

Have finished them now - I found them quite interesting. They are graduate lectures so while they are meant to be engaging - they aren't meant to entertain a casual observer. Can't say I learned a great deal, but I picked up a few interesting tidbits:- possibly not worth the time if you're better versed than first year students in the general features of evolution and ecology. That said - if any particular topic is of interest - they are only short (less than an hour) lectures and they are pretty decent.I'm now running through "Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics", for what it's worth.