HUMAN ORIGINS: V New York University Department of Anthropology

Transcription

1 HUMAN ORIGINS: V New York University Department of Anthropology Office Hours (25 Waverly at Greene) Instructor Professor Shara Bailey W 1:00-3:00, Room 901A TAs Suzanne Price Emily Middleton Steve Worthington: erm293@nyu.edu TH 1:00-3:00 Room 901 TU 2:00-4:00 Room 901 M 3:30-5:30 Room 904 Lecture (Silver, Rm 207): T/TH 11:00 12:15 Labs (25 Waverly, Rm 204): 002 TH 2:00-3:15 (SP) 005 M 11:00-12:15 (EM) 003 TH 3:30-4:15 (SP) 006 M 12:30-1:45 (SW) 004 M 9:30-10:45 (EM) 007 M 2:00-3:15 (SW) Overview As one of the four major subdisciplines of anthropology, physical anthropology (or biological anthropology) is the study of human biological evolution and variation. This course will examine the evidence for past and present human physical and behavioral adaptations from an evolutionary perspective. The study of human evolution brings together research from many different areas of natural science, including genetics, evolutionary theory, systematics, geology, comparative anatomy, paleontology, primate behavior, ecology, forensic anthropology, and archaeology. We begin the course with the history of evolutionary thought, including a background in genetics and evolutionary processes. We then explore the relationship of humans to the rest of the natural world, focusing on the biology and behavior of primates, the group of mammals that includes humans and our closest living relatives, the apes. Finally we examine the fossil evidence for human evolution, focusing on major events such as the origin of bipedalism and evolution of larger brains. At the end of this course students should be able to discuss the key concepts, findings and terminology in physical anthropology and understand the diverse approaches and methods used by physical anthropologists to investigate the origins and evolutionary history of our species. In addition, students will be expected to understand, organize and present coherent arguments for or against various debates in anthropology. Emphasis is on critical thinking and active learning. Laboratories emphasize hands-on activities through experiments, computer programs and simulations, and working with skeletal material and fossil casts. My goals for you: It is my hope that this class will engage you in critical thinking and encourage you to ask questions. Ultimately, if taking this class widens your worldview and gives you a greater appreciation for the human experience I will feel as if I have done my job. Required Texts: Stanford C, Allen JS, Anton SC Exploring Biological Anthropology: The Essentials Required accessory readings will be posted on Blackboard each week Lab Manual (NYU Bookstore) Recommended Text (for visual learners): Zihlman, A (2001) Human Evolution Coloring Book. 2 nd edition. New York: Collins. Bailey Human Origins S08 1

2 Blackboard The syllabus, supplemental readings, and grades will all be posted on Blackboard. Hand-outs and lecture presentations will be posted on Blackboard after each class. Be sure to download them if you miss a class. However, on-line presentations are not a substitute for attending lecture, as we will cover much more information than can be put on PowerPoint slides. LABORATORIES/RECITATION Each week there is laboratory that examines in greater detail some of the concepts, techniques and materials that we have discussed in class. You can find the lab manual at the NYU Bookstore. Lab Attendance is required. There will be no make-ups, no extensions, and no incompletes given for lab. If you miss a lab, contact your TA as soon as possible to find out what work you have missed. You must come to the labs prepared: be up-to-date with the readings and read over each lab beforehand. Each lab has a written assignment or quiz associated with it. All written assignments are due by the next lab date. REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS Class attendance is required! This course and its labs are heavily based upon lectures and class discussions. To do well you must attend class, listen, participate and take useful notes. Attendance is considered in your final grade. Courtesy: Come to class on time. Turn off your mobile phones before entering labs and classrooms. You may use your laptop to take notes HOWEVER if you are caught surfing the internet, for any reason, this privilege will be taken away there are no second chances. Reading materials: All of the assigned reading material is required. You must complete the readings for each week before attending class and/or lab. Supplemental readings are available as.pdfs on Blackboard. Academic dishonesty: Cheating is unethical and WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Rewording an assignment/article/lab report and turning it in as your own is considered plagiarism and is not acceptable. If you are found to be plagiarizing someone else s work you will get a 0 for the assignment. Students charged with academic dishonesty are subject to the procedures outlined by the College of Arts and Sciences, which can be found at: GRADING Exams: There will be two mid-term exams and a final exam. Each comprises objective questions and short answer/essays. Makeup exams for the midterms will be scheduled only for students with official, University excuses (generally medical) and must be approved prior to the exam Laboratory assignments: Quizzes, lab reports, written assignments, attendance and participation all contribute to your grade. One-minute essays: Doing the readings BEFORE class is crucial to understanding the lectures. Oneminute essays are intended to make sure you understand the material presented in the text and in lecture. Throughout the semester at the beginning of class students will be asked to write one new thing they learned from the assigned reading and provide one question they still have about the reading or lecture material up to that point. There are no make-ups for one-minute essays and YOU MUST COME TO CLASS ON TIME TO DO THE ASSIGNMENT! See me regarding documentable, extraordinary personal circumstances affecting your academic performance. Your final grade consists of: Letter Grade Range Midterm I 80 A Midterm II 80 B Final 100 C One-minute essays 30 D Lab Reports/quizzes 110 F <239 TOTAL 400 Bailey Human Origins S08 2

3 All Chapters refer to Standford et al., accessory readings are available on Blackboard CLASS LECTURE TOPIC READ LAB WEEK 1 Introduction Jan 22 What is anthropology? Scientific method Jan 24 History of evolutionary thought Scientific Creationism, ID, evolution Ch 1 Ch 2 NO LAB THIS WEEK WEEK 2 Human Genetics Jan 29 What Darwin didn t know: Genetics DNA, protein synthesis, replication Jan 31 Genetics and inheritance Genes and behavior WEEK 3 Human Genetics Feb 5 Forces of evolution, Evolution in action Feb 7 Origin and evolution of species Mode and tempo of evolution Ch 3 Ch 4 (skip 75-79), Ch 4, 75-79, Ch 5, 90-98, Ch 5, LAB 1: Orientation, The human skeleton LAB 2: Human genetic traits and variation WEEK 4 Human Variation Feb 12 Human variation Ch 6, LAB 3: Human Skeleton Quiz, Anthropometry lab Feb 14 Human adaptability Ch WEEK 5 Introduction to Primates Feb 19 Our place in nature Ch 7, LAB 4: What is Race? Feb 21 Survey of primates WEEK 6 Primates Feb 26 MIDTERM I (including Feb 14) See above Feb 28 Primate diets and ecology Ch 7, , WEEK 7 Reconstructing the past Mar 4 Primate social organization and behavior Ch 8, LAB 5: Comparative anatomy: Humans as peculiar primates LAB 6: Social organization of living primates Mar 6 Reconstructing the past: dating and Ch paleoenvironment WEEK 8 Fossil evidence and interpretation Mar 11 Primate evolution Ch 9, LAB 7: Primate behavior Mar 13 Reconstructing the past: classification, phylogenetic analysis Bailey Human Origins S08 3

4 CLASS LECTURE TOPIC READ LAB WEEK 9 Mar SPRING BREAK WEEK 10 Hominin evolution Mar 25 Trends in hominin evolution: ecephalization, bipedalism, Mar 27 Trends continued, Contenders for earliest hominin Ch 10, Ch 14, Ch 10, LAB 8: Phylogenetic relationships, tree building WEEK 11 Early hominins Apr 1 Genus Australopithecus Ch 10, , Apr 3 Australopithecus and Paranthropus Ch 10, LAB 9: Bipedalism WEEK 12 Apr 8 MIDTERM II (including April 3) NO LAB Apr 10 NO CLASS WEEK 13 The lineage splits Apr 15 early Homo, first stone tools Ch 11, LAB 10: The fossil record for human evolution I: early hominins Apr 17 Emergence of Homo erectus, early hominin dispersals WEEK 14 Ch 11, , Apr 22 Neandertal ancestors Ch 12, , LAB 11: The fossil record for human evolution II: early Homo Apr 24 Neandertals Ch 12, ; Ch 14, WEEK 15 Apr 29 Fate of Neandertals/Emergence and dispersal of H. sapiens May 1 Modern humans, Peopling of the world FINAL May 8 10:00-11:50 Ch 13, Ch 13, Ch LAB 12: The fossil record for human evolution III: later Homo Bailey Human Origins S08 4

5 Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 9:30-10:45 Lab :15 Lab 05 LECTUR E 207 Silver LECTURE 207 Silver 12:30-1:45 Lab 06 Bailey office hours; Rm 901A 12:00-2:00 2:00-3:15 Lab 07 Lab 02 3:30-4:45 Lab 03 Bailey Human Origins S08 5

6 Required Accessory Readings (available on Blackboard): January 30 Trost, C The blue people of Troublesome Creek. (excerpt). Woolf, CM and Dulepoo, FC Hopi Indians, Inbreeding and Albinism. Science. 164: (excerpts) Drayna, D Founder Mutations. Scientific American, September February 1 Marks, J Black, white, other. Natural History, December: Rensberger, B Racial Odyssey. Science Digest, Jan/Feb February 20 Milton, K Diet and Primate Evolution. Scientific American, September March 1 Wright, R Our cheating hearts. Time. August. March 20 Begun, D.R Planet of the Apes. Scientific American, September 4-13 March 27 Wong, K Ancestors to call our own. Scientific American, January 4-13 Wood, BW Hominid revelations from Chad. Nature. 418: Wolpoff, MH Sahelanthropus or Salhelpithecus? Nature. 419: April 5 Wong, K Stranger in a new land. Scientific American. November Wong, K The littlest human. Scientific American. February April 12 Trinkaus, E Hard Times among Neandertals. Natural History 87:58-63 Wong, K Who were the Neandertals? Scientific American, April April 17 Stringer, C Modern human origins: progress and prospects. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, B Thorne, AG & Wolpoff, MH The multiregional evolution of humans. Scientific American April 19 Tattersall, I How we came to be Human. Scientific American, September, Wong, K The morning of the modern mind, Scientific American, September, Bailey Human Origins S08 6