Introduction to Biological Anthropology ATH 2B (60055) Fall 2012

Instructor: James A. Egan Office: 3101 SBSG Office Telephone: !"#0$0% Office &ours: 'on(a) 1:00#!:00 * +) appointment E#'ail: ,aegan-uci.e(u Secretar) .enee 'artin Office SS3A 3145 !"#1$43 Teaching Assistants Sean /ra0e 1s(ra0e-uci.e(u2 Anton 6eono7 1aleono7-uci.e(u2 'in() Tau+erg 1mtau+erg-uci.e(u2 &eather Thomas 1thomash-uci.e(u2

Course escription
As part of anthropolog)8s +roa(er in7estigation of human (i7ersit)9 +iological anthropolog) e:plores human +iological 7ariation across +oth time an( space. Our +iolog) is a criticall) important element of ;hat ;e are as human +eings9 an( human +iolog) has change( through time in ;a)s that (istinguish us from other li7ing things an( that lea7e su+tle (ifferences across human populations. Our e:perience9 ho;e7er9 is also profoun(l) structure( +) learne( an( share( s)stems of meaning calle( culture. 6ong +efore ;e ;ere human in an) mo(ern sense9 human +iolog) ;as ta0ing shape in conte:ts that ;ere alrea() (eepl) cultural. &ence9 +iolog) an( culture are insepara+le (imensions of +eing mem+ers of the species Homo sapiens. This course ;ill pro7i(e stu(ents ;ith an e:tensi7e +ac0groun( in the su+fiel( of +iological anthropolog) +) e:ploring human +iological (i7ersit) in the conte:t of (ifferences +et;een contemporar) populations9 (ifferences ;ithin that +ranch of the tree of life 0no;n as the primates <of ;hich Homo sapiens is onl) one species=9 an( (i7ersit) that has occurre( through time o7er the course of our +iological e7olution. >e ;ill see that the human species is 7er) )oung an( +iological (ifferences +et;een us are9 in fact9 7er) slight. 'oreo7er9 our +iolog) lea7es us pre(ispose( to culture. >e ;ill also see that scientific discussion of human +iolog) also ta0es place in a sociocultural conte:t. The science of human +iological (ifference fre?uentl) ma0es assumptions that are uncriticall) recei7e( from +roa(er sociocultural conte:ts. Scientific (iscussion of +iological (ifferences +et;een groups9 classes9 se:es9 an( populations is har(l) politicall) neutral9 lea7ing scientists ;ith tremen(ous @ an( e7en frightening @ responsi+ilit).

Gra(es ;ill +e assigne( on the +asis of performance on ! short home;or0 assignments9 a mi(term9 an( a final as per the follo;ing sche(ule. Aote that stu(ents are e:pecte( to ta0e the final on the (a) sche(ule(. &ome;or0 I: %0 points <%B= &ome;or0 II: %0 points <%B= 'i(term: "%0 points <"%B= Cinal: "%0 points <"%B=

Te!t and Course "aterials

'ar0s9 Jonathan >hat it 'eans to +e 5 B DhimpanEee9 !00! .elethfor(9 John The &uman Species: An Intro(uction to Biological Anthropolog)9 !010 Dourse &an(outs

th

E(ition9

#ecture $chedule
%&2'( 10&1( 10&)( 10&5 Chapter 1 Anthropolog) an( its su+fiel(sF ScienceF Theories of Biological changeF /ar;in an( the Theor) of Aatural Selection. 10&'( 10&10( 10&12( 10&15( 10&1* Chapters 2 + ) 'en(elian Genetics9 Dhromosomes9 'eiosis * 'itosisF /AA 'olecular Structure an( CunctionF 'utationF 3opulation Genetics. 10&1%( 10&22 Chapters 1,( 15( + 16 &uman 3ol)morphismsF Balance( 3ol)morphisms 10&2,( 10&26 Chapters 1,( 15( + 16 .ace9 Dline * Bree(ing 3opulationF G.aceH an( Intelligence 10&2% Chapter 1,( 15( + 16 &uman A(aptations: Acclimation * AcclimatiEationF S0in Dolor.

10&)1 "I T-." 11&2 Chapter , 'acro an( 'icro E7olutionF Biological SpeciesF SpeciationF Anagenesis * Dla(ogenesisF 3h)letic Gra(ualism * 3unctuate( E?uili+riumF A(apti7e .a(iationF GeneraliEationISpecialiEation Chapters , + 5 E7olutionar) Analog) an( &omolog)F 3rimates

11&5

11&*( 11&%( 11&1, Chapter 6 O7er7ie; of 3rimatesF 3rimate /i7ersit) 11&16( 11&1% 3rimate Socio#Ecolog) 11&21 Chapter 6 + "ar/s

Chapters *( '( + "ar/s Inference of E7olutionar) .elationshipsF Cossil .ecor( * Domparati7e Anatom)F CossiliEationF /ating 'etho(sF 'olecular E7i(ence * the 'olecular Dloc0F "ar/s 'ar0s: >hat /oes Genetic /ifference 'eanJ 'olecular Anthropolog)9 Science9 an( Societ).

11&26

11&2'( 11&)0 Chapter % + 10 + "ar/s E7olution of Earl) 3rimates in 3aleocene9 Eocene * OligoceneF 'iocene ApesF 3liocene an( the Emergence of &omini(aeF Bipe(alism 12&)( 12&5 Chapter 10 + 11 + "ar/s &omini( .a(iationF Ardipithecus9 Australopithecines an( Homo. 12&* Chapter 11( 12( + 1) + "ar/s 3leistoceneF Homo erectus9 archaic Homo sapiens9 Aean(ertals9 Anatomicall) mo(ern Homo sapiens FI0A# (11)02)1)0) Stu(ents are e:pecte( to ta0e final at this ti3e

12&10 ("onday)