courses

Welcome to the homepage for Anthropology 105, Principles of Biological Anthropology!

Here you'll find all the readings, links and essential materials for the course. This homepage is a relatively simple outline of the course requirements and information from the syllabus, with a schedule of lectures linked to readings and visuals as they become available.

As usual, this page is a work in progress. The course schedule for the semester is presented here but readings for all of them have not yet been posted. These will appear as they are completed, and lecture visuals will be posted after the lectures.

Schedule

• Lecture 1 (Jan. 23): Introduction, the comparative method
• Lecture 1 Prezi online
• Lab 1: Skeletons and directions
• A quick start to the skeleton
• A quick start to anatomical directions
• Laboratory inquiry 1: Reconstructing ancestral primates
• Lecture 2 (Jan. 28): Species concepts, phylogeny, tree thinking
• Primate phylogeny and classification
• The normal distribution and anthropometrics
• Lecture 3 (Jan. 30): Film
• Lab 2: Teeth
• Premolars
• Molars
• Incisors
• Canines
• Lecture 4 (Feb. 4): Teeth, primate phylogeny, life history
• Lecture 5 (Feb. 6): Primate body plan, phylogeny, life history
• How do primates move around?
• Lab 3: Vertebrae and upper limb
• The different types of vertebrae
• Primate vertebral numbers
• Primate limb proportions
• The scapula and shoulder girdle
• Laboratory inquiry 1: Outgroup
• Lecture 6 (Feb. 11): Primate social behavior
• Group life in primates
• Primate mating patterns
• Lab 4: Phylogeny project presentations
• Lecture 7 (Feb. 13): Interpreting evidence of diet (guest lecture)
• Lecture 8 (Feb. 18): Hominin origins
• The feet of Australopithecus afarensis
• The pelvis of Australopithecus
• Lab 5: Pelvic anatomy, early hominins
• Structure of the pelvis
• Bipedality and the pelvis
• Australopithecus africanus
• Meet Ardipithecus
• Laboratory inquiry 2: Mystery fossil
• Lecture 9 (Feb. 20): Australopithecines
• Readings for Monday, Feb. 18 will reapply to this lecture.
• Lecture 10 (Feb. 25): Swartkrans (guest lecture)
• Lab 6: Skull anatomy, early Homo
• Homo habilis
• Australopithecus boisei
• African Homo erectus
• Australopithecus robustus
• Lecture 11 (Feb. 27): Early Homo
• The emergence of Homo (book chapter, PDF)
• Lecture 12 (Mar. 4): Archaic humans, communication
• Lab 7: Neandertals and modern human origins
• Asian Homo erectus
• Neandertal crania
• Neandertal postcrania
• Modern crania
• Mandibles of Neandertals and modern humans
• Lecture 13 (Mar. 6): Neandertals and genetics
• Lecture 14 (Mar. 11): Modern human origins and genetics
• Lab 8: Mystery fossil presentations
• Grading rubric for laboratory notebooks
• Lecture 15 (Mar. 13): New World population history
• Lecture 16 (Mar. 18): Personal genomics
• "Know your genome: what we can all learn from personal genomics" (off this site)
• Lab 9: DNA and genomes
• Reading a genetic map: the beta-globin gene cluster
• Earlobes
• "Measuring stature and proportions
• Lecture 17 (Mar. 20) Genetics and health
• March 23-March 31: Spring break
• Lecture 18 (Apr. 1): Human adaptation to altitude
• Genetic variation and the Hardy-Weinberg proportions
• Measuring difference between populations
• Lab 10: Measuring genetic differences among populations
• Eye pigmentation allele frequencies
• Measuring F_ST
• Understanding F_ST
• Lecture 19 (Apr. 3): Genetics and diet
• Lecture 20 (Apr. 8): Pigmentation
• No laboratory sections April 9-12
• Lecture 21 (Apr. 10): Film
• Lecture 22 (Apr. 15): Heritability and quantitative genetics
• Heritability and stature
• Lab 11: Forensics: Human variation of the skull
• The frontal bone
• The occipital bone
• Race and the skull
• Sex and the skull
• Lecture 23 (Apr. 17): Race and history
• Lecture 24 (Apr. 22): Genetic differentiation
• Lab 12: Forensics: sex and stature
• Predicting stature
• Sex and the mandible
• Sexual dimorphism of the pelvis
• Laboratory inquiry 3: Forensic case
• Lecture 25 (Apr. 24): Pregnancy and lactation
• Lecture 26 (Apr. 29): Growth and development
• Lecture slides from guest lecture
• Lab 13: Forensics: age and pathology
• Development of the long bones
• Paleopathology
• Deciduous teeth
• Wisdom teeth
• Laboratory inquiry 3: Forensic case
• Lecture 27 (May 1): Skin pigmentation (continued)
• Skin pigmentation
• Lecture 28 (May 6): Bioarchaeology of past populations
• Lab 14: Forensics project presentations
• Lecture 29 (May 8): Future of human evolution

Class policies

• The course has no textbook. Readings for each session are directly linked from here.
• Free readings do come with a cost: They are continually being compiled and revised as the semester proceeds. The readings are highly tailored to the time in the semester when you will need them.
• Lecture visuals will be made available after the day of the scheduled lecture.
• You’ll complete a short quiz in lecture sometime every week. Every quiz will be worth five points. 15 weeks. 75 points.
• The laboratory sections have inquiry-based laboratory exercises worth a total of 30 points.
• That makes 105 points altogether. Consider those 5 points above 100 as extra credit, if you like.
• If you are sick, please do not come to class. You may make up two quizzes. Contact your TA to arrange a makeup during her office hours.
• If you want an A, you’ll need to earn 93 points. 88 will earn you an AB. For a B, you’ll need 83 points. 78 will earn you a BC. 70 will earn a C, and 60 is a passing grade. In this class, you earn the points. We want to help you earn them!
• Skipping class is a really bad idea. Reading before every class will help you earn more points.
• The lab materials in this course are unique and irreplaceable, including human skeletal remains. Treat them with dignity and respect.