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Anthropology 150A

Introduction to Human Evolution

Fall 2009 MWF 1:00-2:00pm Lab Sciences 300

Instructor: Herman Pontzer                            Grad TAs: Marc Fourier, msfourri@wustl.edu
Office: McMillan 119                                                         Jessica Joganic, jljogani@artsci.wustl.edu
Phone: 935-5292
Email: hpontzer@artsci.wustl.edu                   UG TAs:    Erin Kane, eekane@artsci.wustl.edu
Office Hours: M W 2:30-4:00pm                                      Alaine Nellis, amnellis@artsci.wustl.edu
                        or by appointment.

Required Text: The Human Species, 7th ed. By John H. Relethford (2008) McGraw-Hill

Date                                 Topic (Reading)

Wednesday    Aug. 26    Introduction
Friday              Aug. 28    History of science & evolutionary thought (Reading: p. 3-22)

Monday          Aug. 31    Darwin to the Modern Synthesis (p 33-40, 43-54)
Wednesday    Sept. 2     Genes and inheritance (p 55-58, 71-76)
Friday              Sept. 4     Mechanisms of evolution (p 77-99)

Monday           Sept. 7     Labor Day – No Class
Wednesday    Sept. 9     Natural selection (p 77-99)
Friday              Sept. 11 Evolution in the public sphere (p 23-28, 110-114)

Monday           Sept. 14   Speciation and extinction (p 103-112)
Wednesday    Sept. 16   Phylogeny (p 114-122)
Friday              Sept. 18   Molecules, phylogeny, and "race" (p 378-390)

Monday          Sept. 21   Genetic perspective on human evolution (p 41-43)
Wednesday Sept. 23  EXAM 1 (30% of course grade; material 8/26 – 9/21)
Friday              Sept. 25   Introduction to the living primates

Monday          Sept. 28   Prosimians, Tarsiers, and New World Monkeys (p 155-162)
Wednesday    Sept. 30 Old World Monkeys, Gibbons (p 163-175)
Friday              Oct. 2       Orangutans and Gorillas (p 175-178)

Monday          Oct. 5       Chimpanzees (p 180-183)
Wednesday    Oct. 7       Bonobos   (p 183 - 186)
Friday              Oct. 9     Human foragers

Monday          Oct. 12    The primate brain (p 136-139, 192-195)
Wednesday    Oct. 14    Diet (p130-136)
Friday              Oct. 16    Fall Break (No Class)

Monday          Oct. 19    Locomotion (p130-136)
Wednesday    Oct. 21    Social behavior (p 139-151)
Friday              Oct. 23   Life history (p 199-206)

Monday           Oct. 26    Humans: What’s old, what’s new? (p 191-216)
Wednesday  Oct. 28   EXAM 2 (30% course grade; material 9/25 – 10/26)
Friday              Oct. 30    Introduction to paleontology (p 221-239)

Monday          Nov. 2      Primate evolution (p 243-261)
Wednesday    Nov. 4      History of discovery in paleoanthropology
Friday              Nov. 6      Walk-through fossil lab (10am-4pm, McMillan Cafe)

Monday          Nov. 9      Earliest hominins (p 265-275)
Wednesday    Nov. 11    Australopithecines I (p 275-293)
Friday              Nov. 13    Australopithecines II (p 275-293)

Monday          Nov. 16    Evolution of human bipedalism (p 293-299)
Wednesday    Nov. 18    Early Homo (p 303-319)
Friday              Nov. 20    Homo erectus (p 303-319)

Monday          Nov. 23    Evolution of the hominin diet
Wednesday    Nov. 25    Thanksgiving Break (No Class)
Friday              Nov. 27    Thanksgiving Break (No Class)

Monday          Nov. 30    Archaic Homo and the Neanderthals (p 319-337)
Wednesday    Dec. 2      Origin of modern humans I (p 341-365)
Friday              Dec. 4     Origin of modern humans II (p 378-391, 426-430, 440-449)

Monday           Dec. 7     Modern human adaptation (p 431-436, 449-453)

Thurs             Dec. 17    EXAM 3 (35% course grade; material 10/30 – 12/7)
                                          1:00 - 3:00pm, Lab Sciences 300

Grading:
1. 95% of your final grade is based on your performance on exams 1, 2, and 3. The remaining 5% of your course grade will be based on your participation in three short out-of-class assignments.

2. Students taking the course on a Credit/No Credit basis are required to earn a grade of C in order to receive credit (C- and lower will receive no credit).

3. There are NO options for extra credit and no exemptions from the final exam.

4. CHEATING and other misconduct will be dealt with according to Washington University's policies on academic integrity. Don't do it.

	ASSIGNMENTS Click on the project to complete the assigment. Project 2: Daily Travel Distance in Humans MAP 1 (zoomed in) MAP 2 (zoomed out) Directions for Project 2 Assignment Course Materials Phylogeny Example 1: Morphology Phylogeny Example 2: DNA Terms for Exam 1 Sample Questions, Exam 1 Primate Table Sample Questions, Exam 2 ______________________________ Links Washington Univ. Anthropology Majoring in Anthropology Talk Origins (General evolution site) Human Genome Project Our Genomes, Ourselves by Steven Pinker Darwin's Origin of Species (source: NYTimes) Research Opportunities in Biological Anthropology Biomechanics Lab (Pontzer) Quantitative Genetics Lab (Cheverud) Koobi Fora Field School	Anthropology 150A Introduction to Human Evolution Fall 2009 MWF 1:00-2:00pm Lab Sciences 300 Instructor: Herman Pontzer Grad TAs: Marc Fourier, msfourri@wustl.edu Office: McMillan 119 Jessica Joganic, jljogani@artsci.wustl.edu Phone: 935-5292 Email: hpontzer@artsci.wustl.edu UG TAs: Erin Kane, eekane@artsci.wustl.edu Office Hours: M W 2:30-4:00pm Alaine Nellis, amnellis@artsci.wustl.edu or by appointment. Required Text: The Human Species, 7th ed. By John H. Relethford (2008) McGraw-Hill Date Topic (Reading) Wednesday Aug. 26 Introduction Friday Aug. 28 History of science & evolutionary thought (Reading: p. 3-22) Monday Aug. 31 Darwin to the Modern Synthesis (p 33-40, 43-54) Wednesday Sept. 2 Genes and inheritance (p 55-58, 71-76) Friday Sept. 4 Mechanisms of evolution (p 77-99) Monday Sept. 7 Labor Day – No Class Wednesday Sept. 9 Natural selection (p 77-99) Friday Sept. 11 Evolution in the public sphere (p 23-28, 110-114) Monday Sept. 14 Speciation and extinction (p 103-112) Wednesday Sept. 16 Phylogeny (p 114-122) Friday Sept. 18 Molecules, phylogeny, and "race" (p 378-390) Monday Sept. 21 Genetic perspective on human evolution (p 41-43) Wednesday Sept. 23 EXAM 1 (30% of course grade; material 8/26 – 9/21) Friday Sept. 25 Introduction to the living primates Monday Sept. 28 Prosimians, Tarsiers, and New World Monkeys (p 155-162) Wednesday Sept. 30 Old World Monkeys, Gibbons (p 163-175) Friday Oct. 2 Orangutans and Gorillas (p 175-178) Monday Oct. 5 Chimpanzees (p 180-183) Wednesday Oct. 7 Bonobos (p 183 - 186) Friday Oct. 9 Human foragers Monday Oct. 12 The primate brain (p 136-139, 192-195) Wednesday Oct. 14 Diet (p130-136) Friday Oct. 16 Fall Break (No Class) Monday Oct. 19 Locomotion (p130-136) Wednesday Oct. 21 Social behavior (p 139-151) Friday Oct. 23 Life history (p 199-206) Monday Oct. 26 Humans: What’s old, what’s new? (p 191-216) Wednesday Oct. 28 EXAM 2 (30% course grade; material 9/25 – 10/26) Friday Oct. 30 Introduction to paleontology (p 221-239) Monday Nov. 2 Primate evolution (p 243-261) Wednesday Nov. 4 History of discovery in paleoanthropology Friday Nov. 6 Walk-through fossil lab (10am-4pm, McMillan Cafe) Monday Nov. 9 Earliest hominins (p 265-275) Wednesday Nov. 11 Australopithecines I (p 275-293) Friday Nov. 13 Australopithecines II (p 275-293) Monday Nov. 16 Evolution of human bipedalism (p 293-299) Wednesday Nov. 18 Early Homo (p 303-319) Friday Nov. 20 Homo erectus (p 303-319) Monday Nov. 23 Evolution of the hominin diet Wednesday Nov. 25 Thanksgiving Break (No Class) Friday Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Break (No Class) Monday Nov. 30 Archaic Homo and the Neanderthals (p 319-337) Wednesday Dec. 2 Origin of modern humans I (p 341-365) Friday Dec. 4 Origin of modern humans II (p 378-391, 426-430, 440-449) Monday Dec. 7 Modern human adaptation (p 431-436, 449-453) Thurs Dec. 17 EXAM 3 (35% course grade; material 10/30 – 12/7) 1:00 - 3:00pm, Lab Sciences 300 Grading: 1. 95% of your final grade is based on your performance on exams 1, 2, and 3. The remaining 5% of your course grade will be based on your participation in three short out-of-class assignments. 2. Students taking the course on a Credit/No Credit basis are required to earn a grade of C in order to receive credit (C- and lower will receive no credit). 3. There are NO options for extra credit and no exemptions from the final exam. 4. CHEATING and other misconduct will be dealt with according to Washington University's policies on academic integrity. Don't do it.