ANT 105 - Human Origins (1)

Introduction to the study of human origins through an explicitly scientific anthropological approach. The processes and products of human evolution are surveyed from the perspectives of genetics, evolutionary theory, comparative anatomy, primatology, the fossil record, artifactual evidence, and biocultural behaviors. Course purposes include learning the basic concepts and terminology of physical anthropology to enable anthropological thinking about biocultural change through time; becoming acquainted with the basic precepts of evolutionary theory including Mendelian principles and modern genetics; exploring the relatedness of past and present human species with living and extinct primates; gaining knowledge about the basic sequence of human evolution including species names, key attributes, dates of existence, and hypothesized connections; and considering ongoing issues relating to the interaction of biology and culture in the contemporary world. Alternate years.
(Social Science)