A survey of the basic principles of: evolution and genetics, biological variation in living human populations, a comparison of humans and other primates, and the fossil evidence of human evolution.
200. History of Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prerequisites: 6 credits in anthropology or permission of instructor.
A survey of anthropological theories, methods, and practitioners from anthropology’s inception to the present, covering all four subfields of anthropology.
260. Essentials of Biological Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
An in-depth overview of the method and theory of biological anthropology to solidify student understanding of the discipline’s key concepts via in-class discussion and hands-on exercises.
262. The Nonhuman Primates. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or permission of department.
A broad survey of the natural history and diversity of our closest relatives, the living nonhuman primates – lemurs, lorises, galagos, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes – focusing on anatomical, ecological, and behavioral differences among primate taxonomic groups and implications of this variation for human biology, behavior, and evolution.
264. Faunal Analysis. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
This course gives students training in the study of animal bones from archaeological and paleontological sites. It will begin with a broad survey of skeletons from a variety of animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish) and then will focus on the bones of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), a medium-sized ungulate commonly found at archaeological sites. The class period is divided between lecture and lab time. Students will be involved in hands-on identification of bones and will learn how to identify damage on bones made from a variety of processes including weathering, butchery with stone tools, and carnivore feeding. Experiments will be carried out to illustrate the relationship between particular activities and specific types of bone damage.
270. Evolutionary Medicine. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
This course is an introduction to the principles and methods used by epidemiologists to determine the causes and study the distribution of diseases in human populations. Cultural aspects of disease are integrated with archaeology and physical anthropology in a broad historical survey to illustrate the impact of disease on historic populations.
271. Human Biology.3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
This course investigates the inner workings of human biology using a biocultural approach. Biocultural perspectives consider the evolutionary, social and biological factors that underpin human biology, and shape health and disease. This course introduces the basic structures of the integumentary (i.e., skin), blood, skeletal, respiratory, endocrine, circulatory, lymphatic and reproductive systems with interactive lab activities. We will move beyond simple mechanistic explanations and explore biocultural and evolutionary explanations for individual and population-level differences across these systems. This course employs the critical lens of health inequity/disparity literature to examine how risk of pathologies/disruptions to these systems are focused on marginalized populations within the United States. Case studies from anthropological research will be incorporated into discussion across a range of topics including but not limited to sickle-cell anemia, osteoporosis, psychosocial stress and health, COVID-19, and premature births.
272. The Human Skeleton. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
Using an anthropological and evolutionary perspective, this course combines an anatomical and functional approach to acquaint students with the human skeleton and identification of skeletal remains. Also introduces students to metric studies and to the use of osteometric and anthropometric instruments.
275. Disease in the Past. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or any college biology course.
Health and biocultural adaptations in prehistoric populations will be explored by examining the effects that stressors such as infectious disease, poor nutrition, traumatic injury, and occupational hazards have on the skeletal system.
276, 276W. Human Growth and Development. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 102 or permission of the instructor.
An examination of the human life cycle from an evolutionary perspective. Features of the human life cycle such as pregnancy, childbirth, child growth, parental behavior, reproductive behavior, and aging will be compared to those of non-human primates and extinct hominins to try to understand how, when, and why the particular features of the human life cycle evolved.
279. Topics in Biological Anthropology.3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 102 or 260 or any college biology course.
This course will focus on a topic in biological anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. The specific topic will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. The course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is not the same.
290, 290W. Topics in Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: English 110.
This course will focus on a topic in anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. The specific topic will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. The course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is not the same. This course is sometimes offered as a Writing Intensive (W) course.
295. Independent Studies in Anthropology. 1-6 hr.; 1-6 cr.
Prereq.: Three of the introductory anthropology courses (101, 102, 103, 104), one course from among Anthropology 201, 235, 240 or 260, and permission of the instructor.
This is an independent study course that must be arranged in advance in consultation with a faculty advisor.
361, 361W. Human Variation. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or two college biology courses and junior standing.
Humans live in a greater variety of environments than any other animal. This course will examine the ways in which humans adapt biologically and culturally to different environments, and how this adaptation has produced the biological variation seen in contemporary human populations. Major topics to be covered include human growth, nutritional variation, disease, and adaptations to climatic stresses such as heat, cold, high altitude and solar radiation.
362. Human Paleontology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or two college biology courses and junior standing.
Human paleontology is a study of the fossil evidence for human evolution. This class will examine morphological diversity of extinct human taxa, to better understand the biological relationships, behaviors, and adaptations of our extinct relatives, and to gain a deeper understanding of when the characteristics defining modern humans emerged.
363. Interpreting the Human Skeleton. 3 hr. lec., 1 hr. lab.; 4 cr.
Prereq.: ANTH 260 or two college level biology courses, ANTH 272, ANTH 103, and junior standing.
An interdisciplinary approach to research on human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts, introducing students to widely accepted methods for reconstructing patterns of subsistence, diet, disease, demography, and physical activity based principally on the analysis of such remains.
368. Evolution and Human Behavior. 3 hr.; 3 cr.,
3 hrs. 3 credits. Prerequisites: 12 credits in Anthropology, including Anthropology 101 and 102.
This course focuses on two general areas of inquiry that link evolutionary theory with human behavior. The first is the use of behavioral and ecological data from nonhuman primates and modern humans, in concert with evidence from the fossil record, to reconstruct social and ecological evolution in hominins from ca. 5 million years ago to the present. The second is the use of evolutionary theory to elucidate modern human cognition and behavior. This course involves a critical examination of the theory behind these general areas of inquiry as well as the research findings themselves. This is a seminar course that involves reading and discussion of original research in a small classroom setting.
369. Primate Behavior and Ecology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.,
Prereq.: Anthropology 260 or 262 or two college biology courses and junior standing, or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the behavior and ecology of non-human primates — lemurs, lorises, galagos, tarsiers, monkeys and apes — from a biological and evolutionary perspective. Topics include feeding ecology, predation, socioecology, sexual selection, kin selection, altruism, dominance, life history, reproduction, mating behavior, reproductive strategies, cognition, social intelligence, and communication. The behavioral ecology of primates will also be compared to that of other mammals as a means of seeing how primates fit into their natural world.
370. Seminar in Biological Anthropology. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: 12 credits in anthropology, including at least one course numbered 260-279, and junior standing.
This is an advanced course focusing on a topic in biological anthropology that is not covered in one of the standing courses listed above. The specific topic will be announced in the course list published by the department prior to the beginning of each semester. The course may be repeated for credit provided the topic is not the same..
375. The Human-Primate Interface. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Senior standing.
Exploration of the interface between humans and nonhuman primates from a multidisciplinary perspective. Topics include the behavioral biology and ecology of nonhuman primates; the contribution that nonhuman primates can make to the study of the evolution of social behavior and language in humans; the history of primatology as a science; gender issues in science and primatology; the cultural role of primates in societies past and present; the relationship between humans and animals from a philosophical perspective; and historical, economic, and ecological issues related to nonhuman primate conservation, commensalism, and human-wildlife conflict across the globe.
390. Senior Honors Thesis. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Major in anthropology, junior standing, at least 21 credits completed, a grade point average of 3.5 and departmental permission.
This is our Senior Honors Thesis course. To register for this course, a student must develop an Honors Thesis project and plan with a faculty advisor. Registration is subject to department approval.
395. Directed Studies in Anthropology. 1-6 hr.; 1-6 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology major with at least 24 credits in anthropology and junior standing, or permission of instructor.
This course involves independent research under the supervision of a faculty advisor. It is often taken prior to Anth 390, during the first semester of a student’s Honors Thesis research. To register for this course, students must develop a project and plan in consultation with a faculty advisor. Registration is subject to department approval. No more than 6 credits of Anth 395 are allowed.
397. Directed Research in Anthropology. 1-12 hr.; 1-12 cr.
Prereq.: Anthropology major with at least 24 credits in anthropology and junior standing, or permission of instructor.
This course involves collaborative research with a faculty advisor. To register for this course, students must develop a plan in consultation with a faculty advisor. Registration is subject to department approval. No more than 12 credits of Anth 397 are allowed.