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| Origin and Evolution of the Genus Homo
Anthropology 689-602, Spring 2007 |
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Course Overview |
This course is a survey of the human fossil record with a focus on Plio-Pleistocene specimens assigned to our own genus, Homo. The goal is to provide an overarching picture of the evolutionary history of humans after the Australopithecines and review theoretical issues that have influenced our understanding of the evolution of Homo sapiens. Each week we will combine a reading of original fossil descriptions with works on the theoretical framework that enables us to interpret and understand the morphology and variation we observe.
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Over the course of the semester, we will attempt to answer the following questions:
- What are the defining characteristics of the genus Homo?
- What are the major trends in the evolution of the genus Homo?
- What are the current models of the evolutionary relationships within the genus Homo?
- What are the current models of modern human origins and how do they affect our understanding of the evolutionary history of our own species today?
REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Grades for this class will be based on class participation, three short (5-page) essays and a final term paper. Grades will be calculated as follows:
Participation and discussion: 25% Essays: 10% each; 30% total Final paper: 45% Grading Scale: Letter grades for the course will be assigned as follows:
A = 100-90%, B = 89-80%, C = 79-70%, D = 69-60%, and F<60%.
Participation and discussion: This class will be conducted as a seminar. There will be little to no formal lecture. The three hours will be spent on discussing your questions about and responses to the readings. Therefore, attendance, preparation of weekly reading assignments, and active participation in classroom discussion are essential for success in this course. Articles are available in two locations: the e-reserves service of the library (http://ereserves.tamu.edu) or the WebCT site: (https://webctvista.tamu.edu). Your grades will also be available on WebCT.
- Weekly Reaction Papers-Each week you will be expected to prepare and submit a reaction paper. This is a 2-3 page response to the week's readings incorporating your questions, application to your own background/research interests, and demonstrating that you were able to link, compare, and contrast ideas in the readings to each other. You will be given a handout with more information on the specifics of this weekly assignment in class. The point is to assist you in developing critical thinking skills. At the beginning of each class we will go around the room and you will highlight the main points in your reaction paper and get your classmates' responses and thoughts on them. The week that an essay is due, you will not have to turn in a reaction paper. Your essays will take its place those weeks.
- Leading class discussion-Each of you will be responsible for leading the class discussion one time this semester. You will meet with me beforehand and we will go over the relevance and application of the readings as well as guidelines on how to lead a productive class discussion in order to help you prepare for your role as discussion leader. Your reaction paper will be used as a jumping off point to tie the readings in to each other and the lecture topic and prepare questions for your classmates to stimulate discussion.
- Participation-Each week in class you will be expected to show that you are 1) DOING ALL THE READINGS; 2) thinking critically about the topic and the positions presented in the readings; 3) evaluating competing views of the relevant issues and formulating your own understanding of these topics, and 4) considering the literature in the context of other questions that are relevant to your particular research interests.
I will be taking into consideration not only on your comprehension of this material, but also on your ability to critically evaluate the literature. The degree to which these goals are met will contribute to your 25% participation grade.
Short Essays: Three 5-page papers will be assigned during the semester on topics related to class material. The topics are listed in the Course Schedule and more specific guidelines will be given in class prior to the due date. The papers are due in place of idea sheets that week. They are to be more formal idea sheets where you incorporate the week's readings as well as some outside sources to formulate an academic paper that presents a thoughtful consideration of the question/topic, and takes a position on the arguments associated with that question.
Final Paper:
Your grade will also be determined by one final paper to be turned in by noon on WEDNESDAY, May 9th. The paper must be a minimum of 20 double-spaced pages. It will present an in-depth analysis of a single specimen assigned to the genus Homo. You will present the history of its discovery, its significance, and examine any morphological aspect of the specimen that you want in the context of a meaningful scientific question.
For example, if you think that the issue of H. habilis vs, Kenyanthropus is best resolved with an analysis of cranial capacity, you will conduct a small scientific study, using published data of cranial capacity, EQ values, or whatever you deem significant, that quantitatively investigates your question. These papers can also be behavioral in nature. You can look at femoral neck-shaft angles of H. erectus and compare them to the findings at Skhul and Qafzeh to understand early childhood behavior in this species. Or you can look at dental wear patterns in H. ergaster as compared to H. erectus.
You will then discuss how your results fit into the background literature on the specimen (and species) and how this is relevant to our understanding of the evolution of our genus. The point is to:
- formulate a meaningful scientific question relevant to the understanding of evolutionary changes within our genus; and
- examine that question within a reasonable scope-ie, by focusing on understanding a single specimen within a larger comparative context.
We will meet in the first week of March, before Spring Break, to discuss possible topics and so I can guide you towards published data. The essays and paper will be given to me in hard copy and also submitted to http://itsinfo.tamu.edu/turnitin/main.htm. You must register for this service by the first week of class.
- The class ID for your enrollment in the service is 1782224 and the password is "homo."
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Schedule:
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Course Schedule |
Week |
Date |
Topic |
| Week 1 |
January 16 |
Introduction; discovery of Homo habilis and the definition of the genus Homo |
| Week 2 |
January 23 |
H. habilis, H. rudolfensis and Kenyanthropus which is more important, big brains or small faces? |
| Week 3 |
January 30 |
the discovery of Homo erectus in Asia |
| Week 4 |
February 6 |
Homo erectus in Africa and the H. erectus vs. H. ergaster debate |
Essay 1 Due: Role of historical influences in defining Homo erectus or Homo habilis |
| Week 5 |
February 13 |
The earliest dispersals: implications of long vs. short chronologies |
| Week 6 |
February 20 |
Morphology and behavior of Homo erectus , a period of unbelievable monotony or approaching modern humanity? |
| Week 7 |
February 27 |
Middle Pleistocene Homo : the fossil record and the "muddle in the middle" |
| Week 8 |
March 6 |
Model of Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution |
Essay 2 Due: The erectus-sapiens transition: anagenesis or cladogenesis? |
| Week 9 |
March 13 |
SPRING BREAK |
| Week 10 |
March 20 |
Neandertals: their history and biology |
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March 27 |
NO CLASS--AAPA MEETINGS |
| Week 11 |
April 3 |
Neandertal behavior |
| Week 12 |
April 10 |
The earliest Homo sapiens in North Africa and Israel |
Essay 3 Due:Neandertals and the earliest African Homo sapiens : the significance of biological vs. behavioral differences |
| Week 13 |
April 17 |
Late archaic and modern humans: Old World population dynamics in the Late Pleistocene |
| Week 14 |
April 24 |
After the Neandertals: Upper Paleolithic humans in Eurasia |
| Week 15 |
TBA |
What is "anatomically modern" in Homo sapiens ? |
FINAL PAPERS DUE AT 12:00 NOON ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 9TH |
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