Formation of the Universe, Solar System, Earth and Life

In the first module Jim Connelly and Henning Haack go through the evolution that resulted in the Solar System with the planets that we know today. Jim will tell you about how the elements of the periodic table were formed.

In this module we are going to have a look at our own planet, just after it formed. Emily Pope will introduce you to the most important geological principles and processes that characterize our Earth.

In this module Jan Audun Rasmussen and Danny Eibye-Jacobsen will show you how life evolved during the first 4 billion years since the creation of the Earth.

In this module, we take a closer look at how the physical and biological conditions that made the Cambrian Explosion possible arose.

In module 5, Arne Thorshøj Nielsen and Jan Audun Rasmussen will show you how the higher life forms, particularly the marine animals, evolved in the oceans.

In module 6 Tais Wittchen Dahl will take a detailed look at one of the most important factors controlling the evolution of life - oxygen.

In module 7, we will have a closer look at the biggest source of oxygen – the plants. Vivi Vajda and Gitte Petersen will tell you how the plants began to inhabit the terrestrial environment.

This module explores the evolution of insects and their critical role in terrestrial ecosystems. The module covers the development of Paleozoic insects, the evolution of winged insects, the rise of Holometabolan insects, and the important relationship between insects and flowering plants. Learners will understand how insects adapted to terrestrial environments and their significance in ecosystem development.

In module 9, we will explore how vertebrates colonized dry land. Jesper Milàn will tell you about how this happened and give you examples of some of the first vertebrates that gradually adapted to a life on land.

In module 10, we will tell you about two very different topics – recent climate changes and the molecular clock.

Finally, we have come to the evolution of the primates – the group to which humans belong. Bent Lindow tells you about the evolution of primates, leading up to the early humans.

In the last set of lectures we will look at the modern biodiversity. There is an enormous difference between the biodiversity of different types of habitats on our planet.