Chris Kirk

Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative phylogenetic perspective.
    The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of hearing, vision, and smell, with a special emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will provide a comprehensive review of the following concepts: 1) general anatomy and physiology, 2) development and genetic regulation, 3) functional morphology and mechanics, 4) neural control and regulation, 5) psychophysics, 6) biological role and behavioral ecology, 7) phylogenetic history and fossil record. Additional senses that will be covered in a less-comprehensive fashion include touch, taste, balance and equilibrium, and the Jacobson's organ.
In studying each sensory system, a strong emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between variant morphologies and behavioral capabilities. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology will provide students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the  functional design of a sensory system has on an organism's adaptive niche. All information will be presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties (e.g., the haplorhine retinal fovea) can be understood in terms of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance. This approach will further emphasize the importance of certain evolutionary changes in primate sensory systems as key innovations. Toward this end, discussions of current literature will cover a number of special topics in addition to the more basic aspects of sensory system morphology and function.

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.

Modes of Reasoning

Ancient Eyes: Tarsiers as a unique opportunity for understanding evolutionary, anatomical, ecological, and neural underpinnings of perception

• College of Liberal Arts Crucible Course 

• No application required; enrollment is open to Plan II students in ALL cohorts

• Team taught by Professors Alex Huk (Psychology & Neuroscience) and Chris Kirk

(Anthropology)

– Both Professors have won numerous teaching and research awards

– Research Interests and Education (Huk): focuses on how we see things move using

electrophysiology, functional magnetic resonance imaging, psychophysics, and

computational modeling – Ph.D. Stanford, B.A. Swarthmore

– Research Interests and Education(Kirk): biological anthropology, including primate

evolution, sensory ecology, and functional morphology – Ph.D. Duke, B.A. UT Austin

• Students can expect:

– An experiential and interdisciplinary learning experience utilizing both classroom and

laboratory settings

– The Tarsier is a native of Southeast Asian rainforests, the only primate that is 100%

carnivorous, has the largest eyes for its body size in the entire animal kingdom, fossil record

dates the tarsier back 45 million years, a close primate relative to humans.

– Next to nothing is known about tarsier behavioral ecology and visual systems as compared

with better known anthropoid primates such as chimpanzees or marmosets; the aim of the

course is to take advantage of the lack of basic knowledge about tarsiers as a golden

opportunity for transformative learning and high-impact research. We will use tarsiers as a

model system for addressing some of the fundamental and outstanding questions in core

subfields within anthropology, psychology and neuroscience (i.e. primate sensory ecology

and visual neuroscience)

– The opportunity to continue researching with these professors beyond the fall 2019 course

Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative phylogenetic perspective.
    The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of hearing, vision, and smell, with a special emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will provide a comprehensive review of the following concepts: 1) general anatomy and physiology, 2) development and genetic regulation, 3) functional morphology and mechanics, 4) neural control and regulation, 5) psychophysics, 6) biological role and behavioral ecology, 7) phylogenetic history and fossil record. Additional senses that will be covered in a less-comprehensive fashion include touch, taste, balance and equilibrium, and the Jacobson's organ.
In studying each sensory system, a strong emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between variant morphologies and behavioral capabilities. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology will provide students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the  functional design of a sensory system has on an organism's adaptive niche. All information will be presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties (e.g., the haplorhine retinal fovea) can be understood in terms of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance. This approach will further emphasize the importance of certain evolutionary changes in primate sensory systems as key innovations. Toward this end, discussions of current literature will cover a number of special topics in addition to the more basic aspects of sensory system morphology and function.

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 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.

Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative phylogenetic perspective.
    The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of hearing, vision, and smell, with a special emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will provide a comprehensive review of the following concepts: 1) general anatomy and physiology, 2) development and genetic regulation, 3) functional morphology and mechanics, 4) neural control and regulation, 5) psychophysics, 6) biological role and behavioral ecology, 7) phylogenetic history and fossil record. Additional senses that will be covered in a less-comprehensive fashion include touch, taste, balance and equilibrium, and the Jacobson's organ.
In studying each sensory system, a strong emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between variant morphologies and behavioral capabilities. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology will provide students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the  functional design of a sensory system has on an organism's adaptive niche. All information will be presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties (e.g., the haplorhine retinal fovea) can be understood in terms of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance. This approach will further emphasize the importance of certain evolutionary changes in primate sensory systems as key innovations. Toward this end, discussions of current literature will cover a number of special topics in addition to the more basic aspects of sensory system morphology and function.

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.

Content and Scope:  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.  Our goal is to understand 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 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.

Content and Scope:  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.  Our goal is to understand the place of humans in the world.

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.

Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative phylogenetic perspective.
    The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of hearing, vision, and smell, with a special emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will provide a comprehensive review of the following concepts: 1) general anatomy and physiology, 2) development and genetic regulation, 3) functional morphology and mechanics, 4) neural control and regulation, 5) psychophysics, 6) biological role and behavioral ecology, 7) phylogenetic history and fossil record. Additional senses that will be covered in a less-comprehensive fashion include touch, taste, balance and equilibrium, and the Jacobson's organ.
In studying each sensory system, a strong emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between variant morphologies and behavioral capabilities. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology will provide students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the  functional design of a sensory system has on an organism's adaptive niche. All information will be presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties (e.g., the haplorhine retinal fovea) can be understood in terms of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance. This approach will further emphasize the importance of certain evolutionary changes in primate sensory systems as key innovations. Toward this end, discussions of current literature will cover a number of special topics in addition to the more basic aspects of sensory system morphology and function.

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.

Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative phylogenetic perspective.
    The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of hearing, vision, and smell, with a special emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will provide a comprehensive review of the following concepts: 1) general anatomy and physiology, 2) development and genetic regulation, 3) functional morphology and mechanics, 4) neural control and regulation, 5) psychophysics, 6) biological role and behavioral ecology, 7) phylogenetic history and fossil record. Additional senses that will be covered in a less-comprehensive fashion include touch, taste, balance and equilibrium, and the Jacobson's organ.
In studying each sensory system, a strong emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between variant morphologies and behavioral capabilities. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology will provide students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the  functional design of a sensory system has on an organism's adaptive niche. All information will be presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties (e.g., the haplorhine retinal fovea) can be understood in terms of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance. This approach will further emphasize the importance of certain evolutionary changes in primate sensory systems as key innovations. Toward this end, discussions of current literature will cover a number of special topics in addition to the more basic aspects of sensory system morphology and function.

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.

Physical anthropology is the study of the behavior, ecology, and evolution of primates (including humans). This course is intended to provide an introduction to the field and an overview of its sub-disciplines. We will begin with a survey of living primates. The remaining lecture material will be divided between 1) primate behavior and ecology, 2) macroevolution, and 3) primate and human evolution. Labs will generally expand on concepts presented in lectures, and will provide students with an opportunity for hands-on exploration of skeletal and fossil materials. 

Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative phylogenetic perspective.
    The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of hearing, vision, and smell, with a special emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of sensory adaptations in primates. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will provide a comprehensive review of the following concepts: 1) general anatomy and physiology, 2) development and genetic regulation, 3) functional morphology and mechanics, 4) neural control and regulation, 5) psychophysics, 6) biological role and behavioral ecology, 7) phylogenetic history and fossil record. Additional senses that will be covered in a less-comprehensive fashion include touch, taste, balance and equilibrium, and the Jacobson's organ.
In studying each sensory system, a strong emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between variant morphologies and behavioral capabilities. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology will provide students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the  functional design of a sensory system has on an organism's adaptive niche. All information will be presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties (e.g., the haplorhine retinal fovea) can be understood in terms of the macroevolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance. This approach will further emphasize the importance of certain evolutionary changes in primate sensory systems as key innovations. Toward this end, discussions of current literature will cover a number of special topics in addition to the more basic aspects of sensory system morphology and function.

The purpose of this course is to provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge

about teaching and learning at the postsecondary level, ultimately to help prepare you for a

teaching position in a higher education setting. Major topics that we will cover include (1)

teaching effectiveness, (2) modes of learning, (3) teaching philosophy, (4) course design, (5)

lecture design and delivery, and (6) graduate education and the demands of academia.

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.

The purpose of this course is to provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge

about teaching and learning at the postsecondary level, ultimately to help prepare you for a

teaching position in a higher education setting. Major topics that we will cover include (1)

teaching effectiveness, (2) modes of learning, (3) teaching philosophy, (4) course design, (5)

lecture design and delivery, and (6) graduate education and the demands of academia.

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.

Physical anthropology is the study of the behavior, ecology, and evolution of primates (including humans).  This course is intended to provide an introduction to the field and an overview of its subdisciplines.  We will begin with a survey of living primates. The remaining lecture material will be divided between 1) primate behavior and ecology, 2) macroevolution, and 3) primate and 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 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 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.