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This First-Year Seminar will explore seminal ideas in macroevolutionary theory through both classic and cutting-edge studies. Topics will include the relationship between evolution and development, how fossils shape our understanding of biological systems, and the logical basis of evolutionary inference. Students will also gain an appreciation for the historical development of these ideas and their application in modern science and beyond. This course will explore these topics using foundational texts in biology, such as The Origin of Species and writings by the evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould. It will feature guest lectures from curators from natural history museums across the country as well as offer students their own opportunity to go into the field to collect fossils here in Maryland.