Who were our ancestors? How are apes and humans related? And where does the extinct Homo erectus fit into the puzzle? In this unit we will examine culture, tool use and social structure in both apes and humans to gain an understanding of where we come fro

David Attenborough looks at ͢__ëńlife in the trees͢__ë_ ˘: examining how species have evolved to cope with arboreal living. You will learn how lemurs, anteaters, bears and many others have developed different methods to help movement and survival.

The powerful and majestic carnivores are the focus of many television documentaries. In this unit we will delve into the lives of these fearsome hunters and explore their physical adaptations and social behaviour. This is the fifth unit in the ͢__ëńStudying

From the mouse-deer to the elephant, plant eaters come in all shapes and sizes. But how do they manage to flourish on a salad diet? In this unit we will examine the special features that allow them to extract their nutrients from leaves, and see how some

Some of the most unusual and versatile of all the mammals are the groups that live, feed and reproduce underwater. In this unit we will see how these formerly land-based mammals adapted to a return to the water, discussing such challenges as breathing, mo

From pygmy shrews to armadillos, a wide range of mammals survive on a diet made up largely of insects. Many of these have fascinating adaptations suited to catching or rooting out their prey. In this unit you will learn about these adaptations, along with

Many mammals are food specialists, with complex adaptations that gear them toward a particular food source. So how do the omnivores survive and prosper without these fancy evolutionary features? This unit examines the physiology, diet and strategies of so

Monkeys have long fascinated us because of their similarities to the human race. In this unit you will find out about some of the characteristics that make them so like us: their physiology, complex social interactions, large brains and intelligence. This

This unit is an introduction to studying the arts and humanities. It takes you through a series of exercises designed to develop your approach to study and learning at a distance and improve your confidence as an independent learner.

In this unit, we study one aspect of the fluctuating nature of an organism's environment. We consider how organisms living in a temperate climate, such as that in Britain, are adapted to cope with winter. You will see that there is much diversity of adaptations among organisms, with different species coping with the demands of a fluctuating environment in quite different ways. As cyclic variations are a widespread feature of environments, the range of adaptations to them is an important source of biological diversity.

Water is a natural resource that is vital for human survival and health, although only a tiny fraction of the Earth's supply is available to humans and terrestrial animals. In this unit we look at threats, such as pollution, to water's capacity to support life around the world.

Have you always wanted to try to write poetry but never quite managed to start? This unit is designed to illustrate the techniques behind both the traditional forms of poetry and free verse. You will learn how you can use your own experiences to develop ideas and how to harness your imagination.

An OpenLearn course exploring diversity within teams and team roles with a focus on the workplace and employer/employee dynamics. Includes a section on virtual teams.

Most of us have a very vague and narrow concept of what autism is, based mainly on such stereotypes as Dustin Hoffman's character in the film Rain Man. In this unit you will discover that there is a wide spectrum of disorders associated with autism, and an equally wide range of approaches to diagnosis and treatment.