ANTH 135: Introduction to Biological Anthropology

ANTH 135-001: Intro Biological Anthropology
(Fall 2021)

12:00 PM to 01:15 PM MW

David J. King Hall 2084

Section Information for Fall 2021

Anthropology 135 is an introductory survey of the field of biological anthropology. This class takes students on a journey into the story of humanity -- and at least biologically -- we come to certain understandings of what it means to be human. The subject matter actually covers nearly 14 billion years of natural history, but the focus is largely on the last 45 million years with the origins and emergence of primates, and from there, the human ancestors who first emerged on the scene about 8 million years ago. The course also equally explores modern human biology, health, disease, and adaptation along with a scientific debunking of the concept of ‘race.'  Biological anthropology can achieve such a vision because it involves a powerfully holistic approach that brings together diverse kinds of information including genetics, primatology, paleontology, archaeology, health, disease, and human variation to understand the biological dimensions of the human experience. An underlying theme to this course involves the causes and consequences of ‘biocultural’ evolution – how biology and behavior interact and produced the evolution of our species and modern human biodiversity.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Uses an evolutionary perspective to introduce students to the study of humans and non-human primates as biological organisms. The course will analyze the genetic and environmental bases for modern human biological variation, understand primate behavior and biological relationships, and reconstruct the fossil record. Discussions about prehistoric skeletal remains will emphasize biological responses to changes in subsistence and social structure. Limited to three attempts.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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