ANTH& 205: Biological Anthropology

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Class Program

Anthropology

Credits

Clinical Hours None

Weekly Contact Hours

Course ID

091423

Meets Degree Requirements For

Natural Science with Lab

Description

Study of the origins and adaptations of the human species with a focus on human diversity. Includes the scientific investigation of the primate fossil record and living populations of monkeys, apes and humans. Includes laboratory.

Grading Basis

Graded

Course Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate understanding, orally and in writing, of the history of evolutionary thought.

Demonstrate understanding, orally and in writing, of the scientific method, essentialist and materialist ontological perspectives.

Discuss orally and in writing evolutionary scientific theory and identify the major themes of evolutionary change.

Demonstrate orally and in writing a general understanding of what a gene is, and have the ability to identify misapplications and correct applications of basic genetic concepts in the popular media.

Understand the major historical events in the 60+ million year history of primates and have a specific working knowledge of human (hominin) morphological evolution.

Have an understanding of the relationship between human and non-human primates.

Have a general understanding of, and an ability to discuss, orally and in writing, topics and concepts related to such cultural constructs as sex, gender and race.

Demonstrate orally and in writing an understanding of the complex biological and cultural pathways leading to modern human behavior and social organization.

Core Topics

Science and the scientific method
History of Evolutionary Thought
Basic Genetics - Mendelian Genetics
Fossils and the age of the earth
Methods of dating finds, layers, and context
Anatomy: Form and Function
History of Life to the Eocene
Primates and Primate origins
General extant primates
Non-human primate behavior
The Hominins: explaining habitual bipedalism
Ardipithecus
Australopithecines
The genus Homo
Scientific theories regarding the emergence of Homo sapiens
Humans in the Americas
Modern Human diversity and cultural constructs: race, racism, sex and gender
NAGPRA and Bioanthropoloy Lab: hands-on exercises and discussions that complement the above topics.