Biological Anthropology

Catalog description

This is a survey course covering the topics of genetic adaptability, mammalian evolutionary lineage, evolutionary theory, primate evolution, primate behavior, human evolution, human population genetics, and modern human variation, and based on evidence from evolutionary biology. We cannot fully understand our modern appearance and current social condition without first recognizing the influence of our evolutionary past. Through analyses of living primates, the fossil record, and archaeological findings, this course takes a comparative approach to understanding our modern phenotypes (physical and social appearances). By the end of the semester, students will have a strong basis in understanding how and where humans fit within the animal kingdom, as well as how modern humans evolved. Prereq: Understanding Natural Science; Contemporary Composition.