ANTH-B 500 PROSEMINAR IN BIOANTHROPOLOGY (3 CR.)
1 classes found
Spring 2024
Component | Credits | Class | Status | Time | Day | Facility | Instructor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEC | 3 | 30493 | Open | 3:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | T | GY 1042 | Kaestle F |
Regular Academic Session / In Person
LEC 30493: Total Seats: 14 / Available: 9 / Waitlisted: 0
Lecture (LEC)
This seminar, required for bioanthropology grad student (and welcoming to other grad students), explores modern evolutionary theory and methods and how they have been applied in bioanthropology. Topics will include (but not be limited to): history and development of evolutionary thought, theory of evolution, evolutionary constraints, sexual selection, species definitions and speciation, classification and phylogenetics, tempo and mode of evolution, unit of selection, life history theory, evolution of sociality and group living, evolution of cooperation, biogeography, coevolution, evolution and development (evo-devo), environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EAA), ecology, and evolution and society (topics may change based on students' interests). Each week we will be reading from an evolutionary biology textbook (see below) to get the background on these ideas as well as one or two primary literature articles in bioanthropology to see how they are relevant to our field. Grades will be based on seminar participation, four short writing assignments spread throughout the semester, and a final research paper focused on some aspect of evolutionary theory that is related to each student's dissertation research. MATERIALS: Because bioanthropology graduate students are also required to take Anth-B525 (Anthropological Genetics) I won't be emphasizing genetics in this B500 course. Unfortunately, most current evolutionary biology textbooks do have large sections on genetics AND are extremely expensive (the current, 2023, 7th edit. of my favorite evolutionary biology textbook has a list price of $190). Furthermore, IUB doesn't have ebook/eText access to any suitable textbooks either. So I have decided to have students purchase the 3rd. edition of my favorite textbook, published in 2013., and update you where necessary. This textbook is Douglas Futuyma's 2013 "Evolution", 3rd EDITION, Sunderland, Massachusetts U.S.A : Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN:9781605351155. You can buy this used or new ($7 to $45 on Amazon). If you aren't sure that you've found the right edition, this edition has a picture of an ant carrying a piece of leaf on the cover. Miraculously, IUB Sciences Library also owns a hard copy of this edition of the textbook, which I will put on Course Reserves for this class, so you can access and read it at the library if you need to. Why didn't I go with the 4th edition of this textbook? It costs $150 on Amazon and also has a large section on genetics. All of the primary literature articles assigned will be accessible on the Canvas site for this course.