Introduction to Physical Anthropology . . . sample syllabus
Anth 12. Human Evolution and Prehistory Dr. John B. Gatewood
Fall, 2002 Price Hall, Room 10-C
758-3814 / JBG1
OVERVIEW
This is an introductory course in biological anthropology and archaeology.
There is no prerequisite; we shall begin at the beginning. The major objective
of the course is to instill a basis from which you can interpret articles,
news reports, museum collections, and films concerning human evolution and
prehistoric cultures of the world. Within your lifetime, if not in the next
decade, many of the details concerning primate behavior, the fossil record,
and prehistoric cultures will change as excavations and research continue, but
the interpretative framework you learn now will remain valid much longer.
The first part of the course deals with basic concepts in the synthetic theory
of evolution. This is the dominant framework in biological anthropology for
understanding humankind's relationships with other life forms and with diverse
environments.
The second part of the course focuses on humankind's closest living relatives
-- the primates. We shall be concerned with the taxonomic relations among the
living primates, their geographical distributions, their morphologies, and
their distinctive adaptations including especially their social behavior. This
segment concludes with a sketch of the primate fossil record from about 65 to
5 million years ago, concentrating on that line leading to ourselves.
The third segment is an overview of human evolution and cultural development.
It begins with the australopithecines, the earliest known hominids, and the
divergence of genus Homo from them between 5 and 3 million years ago. We then
follow the human pedigree to the period of human dispersal around the world
and the increasing reliance on culture as our primary means of adapting to the
environment. Around 40,000 years ago, our ancestors completed the transition
and had become a fully cultural species. As a consequence, human culture
became increasingly diversified, although there are some remarkably parallel
sequences of development.
Part four focuses on two major "revolutions" in human life that occurred
during the last 20,000 or so year: the transition from food-collecting to
food-producing life and the development of the state and urban society. We
will compare and contrast these transformations as they occurred in two
regions, the Near East and Mesoamerica. And, if time permits, the course
concludes (Part V) with a brief look at contemporary human physical diversity.
For example, what is the meaning and significance of contemporary human races?
MATERIALS
Main Text:
Clifford J. Jolly & Randall White (1995) Physical Anthropology and
Archaeology, 5th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Auxiliary Materials (your choice to work with the novel or the compact disk):
Jean M. Auel (2002) Clan of the Cave Bear. New York: Bantam Books,
Bantam Trade Edition [originally published in 1980 by Crown Publishers].
Jeanne Sept (1997) Investigating Olduvai [compact disk]. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press.
A simple hand calculator that can store numbers in memory and extract
square roots.
REQUIREMENTS
Your grade in the course will be determined by your performance on four (4)
non-cumulative hour exams and one (1) short paper assignment. The exams
correspond roughly to the main segments of the course and are combinations of
multiple choice, listing, and matching. All exam dates will be announced in
advance (see course schedule below), with the fourth one being given during
the first sixty minutes of the time-slot assigned us in the "Final Exam"
period. Instructions for the paper assignment will be distributed separately.
EXAM POLICY. You are responsible for taking all four exams during their
regularly scheduled times. Any exception to this policy must be approved by
me, John Gatewood, *IN ADVANCE* of the exam. Failure to take an exam as
scheduled (or as I have specially arranged and agreed to beforehand) will
result in an automatic "F" in the course, irrespective of what grades you may
have earned on other requirements. If some emergency should occur that will
prohibit you from taking an exam, be sure to speak with me directly, either in
person or by phone, but do not just leave a message and/or send an e-mail and
think that is sufficient.
ATTENDANCE POLICY. Attendance is required, and I think you will find that
coming to class regularly is most helpful in understanding course materials.
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS
1. Aug 26 (M) Course Outline and Requirements
The Discipline of Anthropology
PART I: BASICS OF EVOLUTIONARY THEORY
2. Aug 28 (W) Historical Perspective on the Concept of Evolution
Notions of Time and the Idea of Progress
Uniformitarianism vs. Catastrophism
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 1-22
3. Aug 30 (F) A. Historical Perspective on the Concept of Evolution
Establishing the Antiquity of the Earth and Humankind
The Contributions of Darwin and Mendel
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 1-22
B. FILM: "Anthropologists at Work: Careers Making a
Difference" (1993, 36 min.)
4. Sept 2 (M) Principles of Heredity
Sexual Reproduction
Sources of Genetic Variability
Genotype and Phenotype
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 23-41
5. Sept 4 (W) Principles of Heredity
Monogenic (Single-Gene) Traits
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 41-49
6. Sept 6 (F) A. Principles of Heredity
Polygenic (Multiple-Gene) Traits
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 41-49
B. Principles of Heredity
Practice Problems: Genotype/Phenotype Offspring
Possibilities
7. Sept 9 (M) Genetic Bases of Evolution
Populations: The Units of Evolution
Gene Frequencies
Hardy-Weinberg Law of Allelic Stability
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 50-56
8. Sept 11 (W) Genetic Bases of Evolution
Non-Darwinian Evolution: Mutation, Gene Flow, and
Genetic Drift
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 56-66
9. Sept 13 (F) A. Genetic Bases of Evolution
Darwinian Evolution: Selection
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 56-66
B. Genetic Bases of Evolution
Practice Problems: Gene Frequency and Selection
[bring calculator]
10. Sept 16 (M) Major Patterns in Evolution
Speciation and Extinction
Niche Overlap and the Idea of Competition among Species
Adaptive Radiations and Mass Extinctions
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 80-94
11. Sept 18 (W) Major Patterns in Evolution
Analogies (Convergence and Parallelism) vs. Homologies
Constructing Phyletic Trees: Cladistics v. Numerical
Taxonomy
Biological Classification
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 94-102
12. Sept 20 (F) A. - - - - First Hour Exam (bring calculator) - - - -
B. FILM: "Survey of the Primates" (1988, 38 min)
PART II: THE PRIMATES AND THEIR EVOLUTION
13. Sept 23 (M) The Taxonomic Position of Homo sapiens
The Living Primates
Characteristics and Distributions of Prosimians
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 103-131
14. Sept 25 (W) The Living Primates
Characteristics and Distributions of Anthropoids
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 103-131
15. Sept 27 (F) A. FILM: "Baboon Tales" (1998, 52 min)
B. Primate Adaptive Systems
Locomotion
Feeding and Dentition
Information Systems
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 132-153
16. Sept 30 (M) Primate Adaptive Systems
Social Behavior and Organization
Mammalian Reproductive Strategies: Female vs. Male
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 154-167
17. Oct 2 (W) Primate Adaptive Systems
Mating Systems among Nonhuman Living Primates
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 167-172
18. Oct 7 (M) A. FILM: "Among the Wild Chimpanzees" (1984, 59 min)
B. Primate Adaptive Systems
Examples of Nonhuman Primate "Culture"
Social Organization of Some Higher Primates
Distinctive Features of Human Social Behavior
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 172-178
19. Oct 9 (W) Fossil Record
Dating Methods
Time Scales
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 179-203
20. Oct 11 (F) A. Fossil Record
Early Primates
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 204-216
B. Fossil Record
Early Anthropoids
Early Hominoids
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 216-231
21. Oct 14 (M) - - - - Second Hour Exam - - - -
PART III: EVOLUTION OF HUMANS AND THEIR EARLY PREHISTORY
22. Oct 16 (W) The Australopithecines
History of Discovery
General Characteristics
Theories of Hominid Bipedalism
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 232-252
23. Oct 18 (F) A. FILM: "In Search of Human Origins, Part 1" (1994, 60 min)
B. Demonstration: "Investigating Olduvai" Compact Disk
24. Oct 21 (M) Australopithecine Diversity
Early Interpretations: Graciles and Robusts
More Recent Finds and New Interpretations
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 252-261
25. Oct 23 (W) Proto-Human Social Organization and the Divergence between
Genus Australopithecus and Genus Homo
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 262-268 & 318-330
26. Oct 25 (F) A. FILM: "In Search of Human Origins, Part 2" (1994, 60 min)
B. Homo erectus and Their Culture
History of Discovery
Distribution
Anatomical Characteristics
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 268-273
27. Oct 28 (M) Homo erectus and Their Culture
Lifeways of the Lower Paleolithic
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 330-341
28. Oct 30 (W) Archaic Homo sapiens and Their Culture
History of Discovery
Anatomical Characteristics
Distribution
Lifeways of the Middle Paleolithic in Europe
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 274-279 & 342-364
29. Nov 1 (F) A. FILM: "In Search of Human Origins, Part 3" (1994, 60 min)
B. The Transition from Archaic to Modern Homo sapiens
The Problem of Neandertal "Disappearance"
The "Eve Hypothesis" vs. Parallel-Evolutionist Models
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 279-288
30. Nov 4 (M) Modern Homo sapiens and Their Culture
Lifeways of the Upper Paleolithic
Peopling of the New World and the Pacific
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 365-395
31. Nov 6 (W) - - - - Third Hour Exam - - - -
PART IV: RECENT TRANSFORMATIONS IN HUMAN LIFEWAYS
32. Nov 8 (F) A. The Biological Underpinnings of Culture
The Capacity for Culture
Possible Advantages of a Cultural Animal
B. Development of Food Production
General Framework for Understanding the "Revolution"
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 396-423
33. Nov 11 (M) Development of Food Production
The Near Eastern Sequence
The Mesoamerican Sequence
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 396-423
34. Nov 13 (W) Development of Food Production
Comparison and Contrast of Near East and Mesoamerica
Root-Crop Horticulture
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 396-423
35. Nov 15 (F) A. FILM: "Collapse" (1993, 60 min)
B. Rise of the State and Urban Society
The Concept of Levels of Social Organization
Definitions of the State and of Urban Society
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 424-452
36. Nov 18 (M) Rise of the State and Urban Society
The Mesopotamian Sequence (Near East)
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 424-452
37. Nov 20 (W) Rise of the State and Urban Society
The Mesoamerican Sequence (Mexico)
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 424-452
38. Nov 22 (F) A. FILM: "Mesopotamia" (1995, 48 min)
B. [mini-break, no second hour of class]
39. Nov 25 (M) Rise of the State and Urban Society
Theories of State Formation
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 424-452
PART V: CONTEMPORARY HUMAN PHYSICAL DIVERSITY
40. Dec 2 (M) Methods for Studying Traits
Some Simple Physical Variations
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 66-79
41. Dec 4 (W) The Concept and Meaning of "Race"
Contrasting Views of Race
Biological Race v. Social Race v. Ethnic Identity
Race, Language, and Culture
Readings: Jolly & White, pp. 66-79
42. Dec 6 (F) A. Review Session (for fourth exam)
B. Course Summary & Student Evaluations
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
REMINDER ... The fourth hour exam will be during the first part of the final
exam period. The time, place, and date will be assigned by the Registrar
toward the end of the semester.