This course addresses the question of how fossils record evolution through an exploration of the nature of the fossil record. From a look at the initial discovery and interpretation of fossils we will examine the emergence of their modern interpretation as the remains of once living organisms. This reveals the biased and fragmentary nature of the fossil record, which presented a considerable problem to Charles Darwin and is still being resolved today with new techniques of investigation. We will outline the history of life’s evolution and extinction, look at the future potential of the fossil record and discuss some remaining problems of interpretation. Finally, there is a brief introduction to finding fossils, how to prepare and identify them.