Core
Curriculum Master Syllabus
ANTH
105:
Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Anthropology 105 is a
university Core Curriculum course that can be used to meet a portion of the
Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement. Its goals are 1) to explain the nature
of evolutionary theory; 2) to trace the development of the human species, both
morphologically and behaviorally, through time; 3) to examine the ways in which
paleontology, primatology, and studies of living populations have contributed to
our understanding of the interaction between human biology and behavior; 4) to
assess the role of genetic adaptation in modern human variation, and 5) to
assess the implications of this biological background for our understanding of
human biological diversity, individual behavior, human behavior in the broad
sense, and the role of culture as an alternative to genetic
adaptation.
This information is a basic part of the knowledge that any educated
individual should possess. Further,
it can significantly contribute to one's understanding of both oneself and
others.
It also provides a context within which to evaluate other discussions of
human behavior. And, since the
search for our fossil ancestors and the behavior of our primate relatives are
fascinating to many people, the course contributes to life-long learning by
teaching the students to critically evaluate the frequent reports on discoveries
of ancient human fossils and studies of primate behavior that appear in the mass
media.
Biological evolution is one of the most revolutionary concepts of the
past two centuries. It is a topic
on which virtually everyone in our society has an opinion, though surprisingly
few understand it well enough for a truly educated evaluation. Yet such an understanding is essential
to developing an informed comprehension of the basic nature of our species. It is also essential for understanding many of the developments in biotechnology and
modern medicine. Further, since
many consider evolutionary theory a religious and moral issue, the understanding
gained encourages students to to think about their
values and to define the basis for them more clearly.
By learning about the biological development of our species and the
accompanying development of human behavior, on both the individual and cultural
levels, students gain an understanding of the importance of the
interrelationship between the two.
They also learn how both have been affected by and continue to relate to
the environments within which we live.
An additional source of insight on behavior is provided by comparative
studies of other primates, which can highlight those behavioral characteristics
and tendencies we have in common, behavioral tendencies that we are likely to
have inherited from our common ancestors.
Since such behavior in other primates is less obscured by the overlay of
culture we find in humans, it can make the biologically based aspects of our own
behavior much more readily apparent.
Owing to the fragmentary nature of much of the data on which
interpretations of human evolutionary history and biology-behavior interactions
are based, and because in the eyes of some the interpretations offered conflict
with religious or other values, disagreements and controversy have been
prevalent in the study of these topics for over two centuries. Thus in discussing the historical
development of the knowledge covered in this course, there is ample room for
discussing alternative viewpoints, considering the contributions of the various
disciplines that have been involved, and sharpening the students' skills at
critically evaluating the evidence.
While the instructor will offer his or her own interpretation, students
will be encouraged to assess the arguments for different interpretations for
themselves.
The combination of various methods of transmitting knowledge to the
students--such as required readings, lectures, films and videos, study of
skeletal casts, and discussion--assists the students in learning to acquire
knowledge in various ways and gives them the opportunity to gain a better
understanding of how they learn and what methods of learning work best for
them.
A deemphasis of multiple-choice questions and use of questions requiring
organization of thoughts and clear writing encourages the students to learn to
communicate at a level acceptable for college graduates. The questions are drawn from the
readings, lectures, audiovisual presentations, and other sources of information
used in the course and require an integration of information from these
sources. Students are encouraged to
study for the quizzes in groups--e.g., in study sessions under the guidance of a
graduate teaching assistant or independently organized--considering likely
questions and critiquing each other's proposed answers to them. This fosters a cooperative approach to
problem-solving characteristic of the discipline, where teamwork is essential in
both the field and laboratory.
II. Course Description:
ANTH
105. Introduction to
Biological Anthropology. (3)
Modern evolutionary theory, the fossil record for human development from
primate ancestors, the relevance of these and studies of other living primates
for an understanding of human behavior, and the interrelationships between
biology and culture in modern human environmental
adaptation.
III.
Objectives:
A. Disciplinary Objectives:
By
completion of ANTH 105, the students should demonstrate a basic understanding of
the following:
1) The nature of
evolutionary theory and the history of its development
2) The role in its development played not
only by Darwin but by numerous others and the synthetic nature of the modern
body of theory
3) Basic concepts
and terminology of evolutionary theory and genetics
4) The nature and composition of the Order
Primates
5) The origin and early
development of the various primate subdivisions (prosimians, New World monkeys,
Old World monkeys, apes, and hominids)
6) The evolution of the higher primates and
the biological relationships among them
8) The relationship between environments
and human evolution
9) The
nature of unresolved problems in the reconstruction of hominid evolution
11)
The development and spread of modern humans
12) The nature of biological
variation among modern human populations and its relationship to evolution and
the environment
13) The shortcomings of the concept of race from an
anthropological perspective
B. Core Curriculum Social and Behavioral
Sciences Objectives:
1)
Fundamental characteristics of the hominids and the relationship between
behavior and the rise of the taxon
2)
Significant advances in hominid behavior and their implications
3) The
rationale for comparative studies of modern primate behavior
4) Major
findings of laboratory and field studies of the behavior of Old World monkeys
and the great apes
5) Implications of these findings for an understanding of
human behavior
6) Anthropological perspectives on the nature versus nurture
debate
7) Some modern conclusions by various behavioral and biological
sciences about the relationship between biology and human personality and
behavior
8) Possible future directions for human biology and behavior
studies
C. Core Curriculum Basic Objectives:
ANTH 105 includes material and requirements intended to
help the students accomplish the following objectives of the Core Curriculum
program:
1) Engage in life-long
education by learning to acquire knowledge--through the variety of information
sources they must employ to successfully complete the course
2) Communicate at a level acceptable for
college graduates--through their answers to quiz and test questions.
3) Recognize and solve the common problems
of living--by drawing on the knowledge of the biological bases of human
behavior.
4) Assess their unique
interests, talents, and goals--by engaging in analysis of their reactions to
what they have learned and receiving feedback regarding their completion of
required coursework.
5) Choose
those specialized learning environments that fosters
the fulfillment of their interests, talents, and goals--by being exposed to
various methods of acquiring knowledge and to information about the nature of
biological anthropology.
6)
Become sensitive to values held by others and
clarify their own values--by studying and engaging in discussion concerning
evolutionary theory and our relationships with the other primates.
7) Work in concert with others--through
participating in the formal and informal study sessions for the course
quizzes.
IV. Course Format &
Content:
A. Required Materials:
1) Physical
anthropology text emphasizing evolution and comparative primate behavior.
2) Collection of readings in
physical anthropology emphasizing recent research in evolution, human variation,
and primate behavior.
B. Contents:
[Specific weekly reading
assignments are provided by each instructor]
The course is presented largely
in lecture format (50-60%), supplemented by, for example, hands-on study of
casts of various primate fossils, regular movies and videos, and discussion
bearing on the topics listed below:
Evolutionary Theory: The
history of basic concepts of evolutionary theory, such as
selection, are addressed, as is the relationship of the origin of
evolutionary theory to earlier developments in biology and geology. The place of Darwinian natural selection
in evolutionary theory is described.
Major figures in development of the theory, both before and after
Primate Evolution Prior to the Hominids: The origin of the mammals and our
current understanding of early primate physical and behavioral evolution is described.
The appearance of the various subgroups of the primates and the evidence
for the relationships between them are considered.
Hominid Evolution: A
detailed look is taken at the development through time of the
hominids--Australopithecines & their predecessors, Homo habilis, Homo
erectus, the Neandertals and Archaic Homo sapiens, and modern humans, with
special attention being given to alternative interpretations of the fossil
record. Significant aspects of
hominid behavior and the implications of their appearance are also considered:
bipedalism, the foraging adaptation, the beginnings of technology, early signs
of religion and ritual, the origins of the arts and science. Attention is also given to brain
structure, language, and the question of when talking
began.
Evolutionary Implications of Modern Human Variation: Here we consider the race concept and
its cultural rather than biological nature, environmental adaptations as the
cause of biological variations between modern human populations, genetic
"defects" and their relationship to immunology, the interactions of culture with
disease and other environmental stresses, and the question "Are we still
evolving?"
Comparative Studies of Primate Behavior: Just as we assume shared skeletal
characteristics among the primates can give us clues to our common ancestry,
extensive studies have been carried out over the past four decades focusing on
modern primates and their behavior in search of clues to shared tendencies. In this section laboratory and field
studies of Old World monkeys, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos are
described. To what extent can we
think of these as cousins at a remove or siblings who mirror ourselves. Among
the specific topics discussed, in addition to broad similarities in activity
patterns and diet, are social structure, aggression (warfare, predation,
infanticide) and alliances, mother-infant interactions, communications and the
understanding of symbols, and the importance of learned behavior as a forerunner
to human culture. Emphasis is
placed on the implications of these behaviors for understanding
ourselves.
Biology and Human Behavior:
The final section of the course pulls together information from
anthropology, biology, psychiatry, neurology, psychology, and other fields
concerned with human biology and behavior to consider the long-debated question
of nature versus nurture. An
attempt is made at beginning to untangle the weave by considering such topics as
modern human variation and behavioral variability, intelligence and culture,
neurobiology and personality, and biology gone wrong--growing evidence for the
role of brain chemistry in personality problems. Possible future directions for studies
of the relationships between human biology and behavior are also
presented.
C. Course Policies and Procedures:
Specific policies and procedures for each section are
provided by each instructor, covering, for instance,
1. Attendance
2. Study Sessions and the role of the
graduate assistant
3. Special
learning experiences such as study guides, handling of fossil casts, and the
like
4. Quizzes and examinations
5. Grading
V.
Special Methods for Evaluating Student Performance:
A. Quizzes and Examinations: Anthropology has a departmental policy
requiring that at least half of all tests be composed of essay questions or
questions requiring brief explanatory statements. Typically, each section is given a
number of quizzes. These quizzes
cover material from all information sources used in the class--lectures,
readings, audiovisual materials, computer-based simulations, field trips, and so
on--and are are designed to determine student mastery
of basic concepts, principles, and findings. Questions on the final exam are
generally of a much broader nature than those on the quizzes to ensure that
students are able to integrate what they have learned.
B. Identification of Fossil Casts: The segment of the course dealing with
hominid evolution will involve study of casts of various types of fossil
hominids, from australopithecines to modern humans, ending with a quiz question
requiring students to identify casts not before seen.
C. Instructors may, at their option, also
require one or two papers covering aspects of the course
material.
VI. Evaluation of the
Course:
Three methods are used to assess the way this course meets the goals set
by the department and by the Core Curriculum program. Besides quizzes and tests covering the
assigned materials--which are themselves measures of the Core Curriculum program
goals--questions are also used that are designed to address both Core Curriculum
and course goals directly. The
second method of assessment is an affective measure that directly probes student
opinion about how well the course meets the stated goals. The third is an ongoing series of
meetings of the Departmental Curriculum Committee, which constantly monitors the
Core Curriculum courses, dealing with any issues that arise such as changing
texts, introducing educational software, and implementing various pedagogic
techniques (e.g., concept mapping).
Revised January 2008