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description: In this course award-winning teacher and scholar Barbara J. King (William and Mary University) delves into the story of how why where and when we became human. These lectures will help you understand the forces that have shaped and continue to shape our species. An evolutionary perspective on human behavior notes Dr. King results in more than just knowledge about dates and sites when and where specific evolutionary milestones likely occurred. It is also a window on the past and future of our species. An entirely new way of thinking comes into focus when we consider the human species within an evolutionary perspective.A Century of ScholarshipWhile covering these subjects in this 24-lecture series Dr. King synthesizes the best that more than a century of scientific scholarship has to offer across a variety of disciplines. Biological anthropologists study primate anatomy and behavior both to understand evolution and to learn more about our common ancestor. Biological anthropologists are joined by molecular anthropologists to better understand hominids by studying fossils ancient skeletal remains and lifestyle information such as cave art and stone tools. Case Studies that Clarify Evolution and Its Power Dr. King begins by explaining key mechanisms through which evolution functions citing famous and definitive case studies that demonstrate these forces. In one such landmark study for example biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant returned to the Galapagos Islands more than 100 years after Darwin's first voyage to conduct research on island finches. In 1977 a drought-induced scarcity of soft edible seeds brought forth in the very next generation a population of finches with larger stronger beaks capable of crushing larger tougher seeds. Extraordinarily in 1985 heavy rains produced a surplus of softer seeds and natural selection produced a succeeding generation of the smaller-beaked variety. Evolution had occurred in two different directions within a decade. This natural selection is the theoretical tool of evolution which helps us make sense of these facts. Why Evolution Remains Important to Us Today Perhaps the greatest measure of this theory's power is its relevance to our lives today. - Did you know that the gene which causes sickle cell anemia must be inherited from both parents to cause the disease but the disease does not occur when only a single gene is inherited? - Or that the single gene in fact affords protection from malaria? Or that race a category so securely ingrained in our consciousness is practically meaningless in biological terms? - Or how to evaluate the claim that a gene can be responsible for a certain personality trait? A Glimpse Into Our Selected Primate Heritage With an understanding of the basic mechanisms of evolutionary change in hand the course looks at how our ancient primate ancestors adapted. Consider the anatomical features we share with monkeys great apes and other primates. Our large brains grasping hands and forward-facing eyes allowing us to perceive depth are critical to the way we function in the world. Yet the fossil record tells us that some 70 million years ago these distinctive primate features did not exist. What caused the first primates to emerge from existing mammalian populations? One proposed solution was that the appearance of insects living in the lower canopies of trees offered a plentiful food resource to those species adapted to procure it. Could depth perception and grasping ability have provided an advantage here and hence been naturally selected? This is the function of biological anthropology: confronting the facts then suggesting and testing possibilities. A Course as Much About the Present as the PastWith so much of evolutionary history taken up with the past the insights gained in these lectures may tempt you to add questions of your own: - Is human evolution still a force in today's world? Hasn't our modern mobile culture rendered evolution irrelevant? - In fact human evolution is a stronger force than ever interacting with human culture in complex ways. Issues such as obesity AIDS and genetics are all discussed. And you may well find these lectures opening your eyes to the extraordinary ways in which the biological power of natural selection is still at work in the world today. Course Lecture Titles1. What is Biological Anthropology? 2. How Evolution Works 3. The Debate Over Evolution 4. Matter ArisingNew Species 5. Prosimians Monkeys and Apes 6. Monkey and Ape Social Behavior 7. The Mind of the Great Ape 8. Models for Human Ancestors? 9. Introducing the Hominids 10. Lucy and Company 11. Stones and Bones 12. Out of Africa 13. Who Were the Neandertals? 14. Did Hunting Make Us Human? 15. The Prehistory of Gender 16. Modern Human Anatomy and Behavior 17. On the Origins of Homo sapiens 18. Language 19. Do Human Races Exist? 20. Modern Human Variation 21. Body Fat Diet and Obesity 22. The Body and Mind Evolving 23. Tyranny of the Gene? 24. Evolution and Our Future
language: English
title: Biological Anthropology: An Evolutionary Perspective
publisher: Teaching Company