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The Open University

Studying mammals: Chisellers

The Open University via OpenLearn

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Overview

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Ever wondered why rats, mice and squirrels seem to reproduce at such an alarming rate? Rodents are among the most successful of all the mammal groups. In this free course, Studying mammals: Chisellers, you will learn more about some of the evolutionary features that make these creatures so plentiful. This is the third course in the Studying mammals series.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 The rodent
  • 1 The rodent
  • 2 You are what you eat
  • 2 You are what you eat
  • 2.1 Overview
  • 2.2 Cracking nuts and other ways of eating
  • 3 Some principles that underpin evolutionary change
  • 3 Some principles that underpin evolutionary change
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Adaptation
  • 3.3 Variation
  • 3.4 Competition
  • 3.5 Natural selection
  • 3.6 The numbers game … or the struggle for existence
  • 4 Individual lives: the concept of fitness
  • 4 Individual lives: the concept of fitness
  • 4.1 A measure of success
  • 4.2 Altruism
  • 5 Different reproductive strategies
  • 5 Different reproductive strategies
  • 5.1 Monogamy and polygamy
  • 5.2 Differences between the sexes
  • 5.3 The effect of environment on reproductive behaviour
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements

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