ANT6930 BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
3 Credit Hours
Student Level:
This course is open to students on the college level in either Freshman or Sophomore year.
Catalog Description:
ANT6930 - Biological Anthropology (3 hrs.)
Students will explore the theories and mechanisms of human origins and development, in order to gain an appreciation of the biological, physical and history unity and diversity of the human family.
Course Classification:
Lecture
Core Outcomes:
The learning outcomes and competencies detailed in this course meet, or exceed the learning outcomes and competencies specified by the Kansas Core Outcomes Project for this course, as sanctioned by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Prerequisites:
None
Controlling Purpose:
This course is designed to help the students explore the theories behind, and the biological and physical evidence for human development and diversity, in order to acquire an informed, scientific view of humanity in terms of biological adaptation, genetic diversity, and population dynamics.
Learner Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the student will develop competencies in the development of evolutionary theory, basic knowledge of genetic mechanisms and processes, familiar with the principles and structures of primate taxonomy, and will apply critical thinking skills and scientific methods to address the issues of human origins, hominid evolution, and modern biological human diversity.
Unit Outcomes for Criterion Based Evaluation:
The following outline defines the minimum core content, not including the final examination period. Instructors may add other material as time allows.
UNIT 1: Biological Anthropology
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Define biological/ physical anthropology
- Apply the scientific method of investigation, and distinguish it from belief systems
UNIT 2: Evolutionary Theory
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Define evolution
- Define natural selection
- Define fitness, inheritance and acquired
- Describe how the geological record and fossil record relate to evolutionary theory
UNIT 3: Evolutionary Genetics
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Identify and define gene, chromosome, DNA, protein, enzyme, amino acid, nucleotide, and codon
- Identify and define the parts of a typical cell, including but not limited to cell membrane, ribosome, nucleus, mitochondria, and lysosome
- Define the Mendelian genetics
- Define the processes and mechanisms of protein synthesis, inheritance, and mutation
UNIT 4: Processes of Evolution
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Define the terms species, niche, gene frequency, allele frequency, point mutation, and chromosomal mutation
- Define gene drift and gene flow
- Define the fonder effect
- Describe the distribution and frequency of sickle cell anemia as an example evolutionary processes at work
UNIT 5: Origin of the Species
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe how existing species give rise to new species
- Describe how species diversify
- Define and distinguish the concepts of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium
UNIT 6: Primates
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe the principles of taxonomy
- Define the segments of the human tax
- Define the characteristics of the primates
- Identify and distinguish different primate behaviors, and how these are important to studying human development and origins
- Describe the features of the primate skeleton
- Describe how fossil remains are located, recovered, and dated
- Describe how fossils are formed
- Describe how genetic evidence may be used
UNIT 7: Evolution of the Hominids & Genus Homo
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe the evolutionary history of the primates
- Describe the evolutionary history of the hominids
- Define the importance of bipedalism in hominid evolution
- Describe the distinguishing features and characteristics of the major fossil representatives of primate, hominid and early genus homo evolution
UNIT 8: Modern Human Origins
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Recognize the emergence of the genus homo sapiens in the fossil record
- Understand and describe the physical features, distribution, and dates of the various groups of genus homo found in the fossil record
- Understand and relate what may and may not be said with accuracy about the lives and behaviors of genus homo via the fossil record
- Understand, define and analyze the various taxonomies and theories of relationships between fossil record members of the genus homo and the earliest modern humans, and with current human populations
UNIT 9: Study of Living Populations
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe and apply the basic concepts and mechanisms of population dynamics
- Describe how and what data are useful in describing human populations, and the trends that can be seen in such data
- Describe in what ways humans have adapted to varying environments
- Describe how disease influences human populations
- Describe how sex and gender are interpreted differently by different cultures
- Describe and discuss from an informed perspective the issue of “race”
- Apply the knowledge and theory of biological anthropology to some of the problems presented by the idea of race
UNIT 10: Applying Biological Anthropology
Outcomes: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe how biological anthropology may be used in fields such as forensics, history, other fields of anthropology and other disciplines
Projects Required:
Information Literacy Assignment
Students will demonstrate information and library literacy by completing a project that requires students to distinguish between scholarly and popular sources, provide evidence of the ability to search for and access sources through an online catalog or database (students will print the record screen as evidence), and show the ability to accurately structure citations and references.
Applied Biological Anthropology Project
Students will participate in a class field trip to the Sedgwick County Zoo where each student will observe one group of primates. Prior to the trip, students must work with the instructor to develop a research question. Possible areas of emphasis include locomotion, communication, dominance/submissive behavior, and mother-infant interactions. Students will use the primate observations to evaluate and discuss their research objective in a 1,000-word paper.
Article Critiques
Students will complete two article critiques. The critiques require students to read scholarly journal articles that address a biological anthropology subject such as human variation and genetics, primates, skeletal biology, evolutionary history, or paleontology. Critiques must identify the focus and purpose of the article, describe the methods used to gather data, summarize the author’s conclusion, and offer a brief analysis of the article. Each critique must be at least 500 words and contain in-text citations and a references page.
Textbook:
Contact Bookstore for current textbook.
Materials/Equipment Required:
Attendance Policy:
Students should adhere to the attendance policy outlined by the instructor in the course syllabus.
Grading Policy:
The grading policy will be outlined by the instructor in the course syllabus.
Maximum class size:
Based on classroom occupancy
Course Time Frame:
The U.S. Department of Education, Higher Learning Commission, and the Kansas Board of Regents define credit hour and have specific regulations that the college must follow when developing, teaching, and assessing the educational aspects of the college. A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit or an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. The number of semester hours of credit allowed for each distance education or blended hybrid courses shall be assigned by the college based on the amount of time needed to achieve the same course outcomes in a purely face-to-face format.
Refer to the following policies:
402.00 Academic Code of Conduct
263.00 Student Appeal of Course Grades
403.00 Student Code of Conduct
Disability Services Program:
Cowley College, in recognition of state and federal laws, will accommodate a student with a documented disability. If a student has a disability, which may impact work in this class, which requires accommodations, contact the Disability Services Coordinator.
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