ANT X48K ANT 348K Current Topics in Biological Anthropology 3 Hours
3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours
An in-depth study of current topics, controversies, and literature on the evolution, morphology, genetics, and behavioral ecology of primates, including humans. Three lecture hours a week for one semester; additional hours may be required for some topics.
Pre/Corequisites: Anthropology 301.
Grading: Student Option
Repeatable for credit: May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Academic Level: Upper Division
Topic 1: Human Evolution.
Topic 2: Primate Anatomy.
Topic 3: Paleomagnetism.
Topic 4: Primate Evolution. Examination of the fossil record for nonhuman primate evolution, including basic concepts of the anatomy, ecology, and systematics of living primates.
Topic 5: Primate Sensory Ecology. An integrated perspective on the comparative anatomy, physiology, and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates.
Topic 6: Primate Social Behavior. Primate behavior and why primates do what they do, including basic theoretical principles and the models used to explain primate behavior. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 7: Comparative Primate Ecology. The basics of how organisms interact with their environment, focusing on a wide range of primates from a comparative perspective. Discusses how various aspects of ecology are used to conserve primate populations. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Topic 8: Evolutionary Anatomy of the Head and Neck. The comparative and functional anatomy of the head and neck in primates and other mammals.
Topic 9: Introduction to Primate Anatomy. Explores the relationship between primate anatomical form and function.
Topic 10: Primate Conservation. The theory and practices of conservation biology as applied to primates. Explores species and community characteristics influencing extinction risk, current threats to primates, and potential conservation strategies.
Topic 11: Early Hominid Evolution. Examines the early stages of human evolution in Africa starting from the last common great ape ancestor through the origin of the genus Homo, looking at the behavioral and morphological adaptations that characterize the earliest stages of human evolution. Anthropology 348K (Topic: Early Hominid Evolution) and 348K (Topic 11) may not both be counted.
Topic 12: Sex and Human Nature. Provides an introduction to the scientific study of sexual behavior, mate choice, and reproduction in humans from the perspective of evolutionary biology; examines a wide range of genetic, ecological, social, physiological, and behavioral aspects of human sexuality. Only one of the following may be counted: Anthropology 348J, 348K (Topic 12), Biology 337 (Topic: Sex and Human Nature), Women's and Gender Studies 323 (Topic: Sex and Human Nature), 323D. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Additional prerequisite: Anthropology 301.
Topic 13: Adaptation and Human Behavior. Focuses on the analysis of human behavior and institutions from an evolutionary, adaptationist perspective. Examines subjects of central interest in the social sciences and traces the development of adaptationist approaches and evaluates their application to studying human behavior and social practices. Anthropology 348K (Topic: Adaptation and Human Behavior) and 348K (Topic 13) may not both be counted. Additional prerequisite: Upper-division standing.