Anthropology 1- Physical Anthropology

Room 6303

 

Professor Lise Mifsud, M.A.

E Mail: mifsud_l@yahoo.com

Office Hours:  T.B.A.

Office Location:  Cubical 2566 in the 6900 building

 

 

Course Description:  This course will introduce students to Physical/Biological Anthropology.  We will discuss evolutionary theory, primatology, fossil evidence for human evolution, human growth and development, and applications of physical anthropology.

 

Course Requirements:  There will be three in-class midterms and a take-home essay exam.  Each exam will comprise 25% of your total grade.  Each midterm will cover material from the text and lecture.  The take-home essay will cover material from one of the supplemental texts.

 

Extra-Credit:  One extra-credit assignment will be made available after the first midterm exam.  The assignment is worth ten points.

 

Student Conduct:  There are no cell phones permitted in class.  You are expected to arrive on time and be prepared for class.  If you need to leave class early, notify me prior to the start of the lecture.  Sleeping in class is not permitted. Cheating on an exam will not be tolerated and you will receive zero points for your efforts and a letter grade of “F” for the course (refer to the Class Schedule for examples of academic dishonesty).

 

 

Policy on missing an exam:   If you miss an exam and have a valid medical excuse (medical emergency or death in the family) a make-up exam will be given.  You must notify me prior to the exam and provide documentation!!! Failure to do so will result in zero points for the exam!

 

 

Grading:  The following is the grade scale utilized in this class and is based on the points earned of the total points available (400).

 

            A=100-90%; B=89-80%; C=79-70%; D=69-60%; F=59% and below

 

Course Texts:

 

Required Text:

 

            Jurmain, Kilgore, Trevathan

                        Introduction to Physical Anthropology, Tenth Edition.

 

           

 

Supplemental Texts (choose one):

 

            Arsuaga, Juan Luis

                        ­The Neanderthal’s Necklace, 2001.

            Goodall, Jane

                        In The Shadow of Man, 1999, 2000.

Rhine, Stanley

                        Bone Voyage: A Journey in Forensic Anthropology, 1998.    

Each supplemental text covers a different subdiscipline in Physical Anthropology.  Choose one book that interests you and read it.  You will be given essay questions for the book you choose.

Course Outline and Reading Assignments*

 

Topic                                                                              Text Chapter

Welcome Back!  Discuss syllabus                                              N/A

Introduction to Anthropology                                                     1

History of Evolutionary Theory                                                   2

Brief synopsis of cellular biology                                               3 (overview)

Inheritance and human evolution                                                4

Vertebrate & Mammalian Evolutionary History                              5

Living primates                                                                          6

Primate social and reproductive behavior                                    7

Primate language and culture                                                     8

Midterm I                                                                      

Paleoanthropology: Fossilization & Dating Methods                      9

Miocene & Early Hominid origins                                                  10

Homo erectus & Contemporaries                                                 11

Archaic Homo sapiens                                                                 12 (330-341)

Midterm II                                                                         

Neandertals                                                                                12 (341-360)

Homo sapiens sapiens                                                                 13

Human variation and adaptation                                                  14 (396-402)

Patterns of human adjustments & adaptations                               15

The future of humanity                                                               16

Essay Exam Due                                                              Last day of lecture

Final Exam                                                                Refer to Class Schedule       

*This schedule is subject to change to accommodate films, etc.