John W. Kappelman Jr

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. 

Taught online with established deadlines. Online activities and exams may be scheduled. Go to http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tower/online/courses/ for additional information and to test your computer and internet connectivity.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is designed as an introduction to the field of physical anthropology. During the semester you will investigate numerous and diverse subjects including modern evolutionary theory, sexual reproduction, human genetics, biological variation in populations of modern humans, mammalian phylogeny, primate diversity, behavior, biology, and ecology, the fossil record of primate and human evolution, and archaeology. The diversity of these topics will illustrate how the topics of physical anthropology are integrated and offer you an understanding of the place of humans in the world. 

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This seminar examines the evidence for human origins and evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record and from patterns of anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarity and difference among living primates.  A wide range of evidence from the natural and social sciences is presented to reconstruct human phylogeny, to understand past anatomical and behavioral adaptations, and to view hominids as members of diverse animal and plant communities.  Laboratory sessions will introduce the student to the range of hominid fossil material and the various techniques used to study the fossil record.  The study of human evolution is eclectic, requiring many kinds of knowledge.  Our goal is to understand what happened in human evolution and why.    This course will be of special interest to graduate students in anthropology, archaeology, geography, geology, and paleontology, and to other graduate students in anthropology who desire a current review of the literature on hominid evolution.

This course is designed as an introduction to the study of physical anthropology. During the semester you will investigate numerous and diverse subjects including modern evolutionary theory, sexual reproduction, human genetics, biological variation in populations of modern humans, mammalian phylogeny, primate behavior, biology, and ecology, the fossil record of primate and human evolution, and archaeology. The diversity of these topics will illustrate how the different areas of physical anthropology are integrated and will offer you an understanding of the place of humans in the world.

To successfully complete this course, the student must be able to learn the material without the benefit of a lecture and laboratory session. The only meeting of the course is the initial orientation meeting. Students are responsible for setting their own proper study pace for the course, but must comply with due dates for the exams and assignments. This class is not less time consuming than other classes, but it permits the student some latitude in arranging their study and testing schedule. The course may be completed before the end of the semester by working in a more concentrated manner and testing before the due dates.  Any student who does not complete the exams and labs by their due dates will receive zeros for the assignments.

Why are humans unique in so many features; in having culture and language; in being bipedal; in the way we gather our food, and its extraordinary range; in our social and sexual behavior and its variability?  This course examines patterns of anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among living primates and humans, and the evidence for human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  A wide range of evidence from the natural and social sciences is presented to understand present and past anatomical and behavioral adaptations, and to view humans and our ancestors as members of diverse animal and plant communities. The study of physical anthropology is eclectic and requires many kinds of knowledge.  Our goal is to understand the place of humans in the world.

Following an introductory overview, lectures discuss the living primates, significant human behavioral and biological adaptations, and evolutionary theory.  The aim here is to clarify those scientific procedures and principles, based on the present, which are necessary to understanding the evolution of uniquely human features.

The second part of the course presents the molecular, fossil, and archeological evidence for human evolution and offers a behavioral dimension and explanation to the data.  The main foci of this part of the course include hominin origins, the appearance of the first large-brained toolmaker, and the evolution of modern humans.

Laboratories are an integral part of the course and are designed to closely follow the lecture schedule.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

INTRODUCTION:  This course is designed to introduce students to physical anthropology.  During the course you will investigate numerous and diverse subjects that include an introduction to modern evolutionary theory, sexual reproduction, human genetics, variation in populations of modern humans, mammalian phylogeny, primate behavior, biology, and ecology, the fossil record of primate and human evolution, and archaeology.SELF-PACED FEATURE:  To successfully complete this course, the student must be able to learn the material without the benefit of a lecture and laboratory session.  The only meeting of the course is the initial orientation meeting.  Students are responsible for setting their own proper study and examination pace for the course.  This class is not less time consuming than other classes, but it permits you to arrange your time according to your own schedule.  You can finish this course before the end of the semester by working in a more concentrated manner early in the semester.

This course is designed as an introduction to the study of physical anthropology. During the semester you will investigate numerous and diverse subjects including modern evolutionary theory, sexual reproduction, human genetics, biological variation in populations of modern humans, mammalian phylogeny, primate behavior, biology, and ecology, the fossil record of primate and human evolution, and archaeology. The diversity of these topics will illustrate how the different areas of physical anthropology are integrated and will offer you an understanding of the place of humans in the world. 

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

Anthropology 301 Fall 2009 (unique no. 30155) 

ANATOMY AND BIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN SKELETON 

ANTHROPOLOGY 366 (30535) FALL 2009 

INSTRUCTOR: Prof. John Kappelman (jkappelman@mail.utexas.edu) 

Office: EPS 2.132, telephone: 471-0055 

Office hours: Tu Th 10-11 pm or by appointment 

CLASS MEETINGS 

Tu and Th: 8:30 – 11.00 am in EPS 2.102 (10-11 am: self-study in the lab) 

PRERQUSITES 

Anthropology 301 and six semester hours of upper-division coursework in natural or social science, or permission of the instructor. 

Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259. 

DESCRIPTION (see the Blackboard course website: click HERE) 

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement. 

GRADING REQUIREMENTS 

Laboratory quizzes (there is no final exam): 60% 

Term project: 25% 

Class and Lab Participation (attendance counts!): 15% 

Grades (rounding to whole number, with + and -): A 90-100% 

B 80-89% 

C 70-79% 

D 60-69% 

F <60% 

TEXTBOOKS AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA 

Steele and Bramblett, 1988. The Anatomy and Biology of the Human Skeleton. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. (Note: the vocabulary of this text is used.) 

Bass, 1995. Human Osteology. Special Publication No. 2, Missouri Archaeological Society, Columbia, MO. 

Buikstra and Uberlaker, 1994. Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. 

See www.eSkeletons.org for a web-based version of the human and primate skeleton. 

Almost launched: www.eForensics.info 

1 

Topic Schedule 

Aug. 27 Brief introduction to the course 

Students must schedule a 10-minute office hour appointment with Prof. K on 1 or 8 September. 

Sept. 1 Bone biology, and introduction to the study materials 

Sept. 3 The Skull 

Sept. 8 The Skull (cont.) 

Sept. 10 QUIZ: The Skull 

The Vertebra 

Sept. 15 The Vertebra (cont.) 

Sept. 17 QUIZ: The Vertebra 

The Chest 

Sept. 22 The Chest (cont.) 

Sept. 24 QUIZ: The Chest 

The Arm 

Sept. 29 The Arm (cont.) 

Oct. 1 QUIZ: The Arm 

The Hand 

Oct. 6 The Hand (cont.) 

Oct. 8 QUIZ: The Hand 

The Pelvis 

Oct. 13 The Pelvis (cont.) 

Oct. 15 QUIZ: The Pelvis 

The Leg 

Oct. 20 The Leg (cont.) 

Oct. 22 QUIZ: The Leg 

The Foot 

Oct. 27 The Foot (cont.) 

Oct. 29 QUIZ: The Foot 

The Dentition 

Nov. 3 The Dentition (cont.) 

Nov. 5 QUIZ: The Dentition 

2 3 

Applications: 3D imaging 

Nov. 10 Applications: estimation of sex and age 

Nov. 12 Applications: estimation of stature 

Nov. 17 Term project 

Nov. 19 Term project (cont.) 

Nov. 24 Term project (cont.) 

Nov. 26-28 Thanksgiving Holidays (no class meetings) 

Dec. 1 Term project (cont.) 

Dec. 3 Term project (cont.) 

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES TO REMEMBER: 

31 August: Last day of official add/drop period 

11 September: Twelfth Class Day 

23 September: Last day to DROP course without possible academic penalty 

21 October: Last day to withdraw or change pass/fail status 

26-28 November Thanksgiving holidays 

4 December: Last day of class 

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course introduces the student to an in-depth study of the human skeleton. Class sessions combine lecture and laboratory sessions and cover topics including developmental biology, functional morphology, and skeletal identification, with a special focus on the latter skill as it relates to forensics and archaeological studies. Students will also be introduced to new 3D imaging techniques for studying the skeleton. 

This class requires both intensive in-class and out-of-class preparation. Participants must be prepared to handle actual human osteological specimens and have a professional approach to this subject and the human remains. An interest in human skeletal identification is especially applicable to the fields of archeology, physical anthropology, health sciences, law, and law enforcement.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course examines the evidence for the origin and evolution of humans with particular emphasis placed on reconstructing the paleobiology of extinct hominins.  Lectures will draw upon a diverse range of disciplines (anatomy, archaeology, ecology, ethology, genetics, geology, paleontology) and integrate these into a framework for understanding the origin and evolutionary history of this unusual group of primates.  Weekly laboratories provide the student with an opportunity to examine firsthand the fossil evidence for human evolution.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.

This course is an introduction to the principles and the methods of biological anthropology, the study of human beings from a biological perspective.  It is a field that seeks to explain our relationship to other primates and to the rest of the natural world.  In other words: Who are we? How are we unique? How, why, and when did we come to be the way that we are? The study of biological anthropology requires many different types of knowledge.  Throughout the course, we will examine anatomical, behavioral, and genetic similarities and differences among the living primates, learn the basic mechanisms of evolution, and trace the path of human evolution as reconstructed from the fossil record.  The main goal of the course is to obtain a clear understanding of our place in nature.