The structure of the course emphasized critical reading: understanding Darwin’s claims, but also engaging with the text as an argument that had to be defended against rival explanations. By the final week, we had defined twenty key concepts central to evolutionary theory, such as natural selection, speciation, common descent, adaptation, and population thinking.

The written exam asked us to define five of these concepts and to critically reflect on the content and significance of one selected chapter from the book. We traced how Darwin’s “one long argument” continues to shape how we ask questions about biodiversity, adaptation, and the origins of species today.