Course

Introduction to Biological Anthropology: Human Origins

Faculty
Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Course code
ANTH 1111
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course will introduce students to biological anthropology, the study of human biological origins, evolution, and variation, past and present. With an emphasis on human evolution, the course will explore the evolutionary roots of our species, examining how biological, environmental, and cultural factors have shaped the human experience over millions of years. Students will understand and appreciate the depth and breadth of human variation. Major topics covered in the course include the history and development of evolutionary theory, basic genetics, the behaviour, biology, and ecology of our nearest relatives the non-human primates, the scientific study of the human fossil record, the origins, global dispersal, and biological variation of modern humans, as well as other contemporary topics in biological anthropology.
Course content
  1. Introduction to the discipline of anthropology and its subdiscipline biological anthropology.
  2. The history and development of evolutionary theory, including the work of Charles Darwin.
  3. Science and the scientific method as one way of knowing about the world.
  4. Introduction to the biological basis of life, basic genetics, and inheritance.
  5. The emergence of the modern synthesis theory of evolution and the mechanisms of evolution.
  6. Some of the reasons for controversy around theories of evolution, past and present.
  7. The complex interactions between biology and culture (biocultural) in humans species throughout their history.
  8. Survey of the living nonhuman primates, introduction to primate taxonomy, morphology, behaviour, and ecology, along with the evolution of primates.
  9. Brief introduction to human osteology.
  10. The origins of bipedalism and the early hominins.
  11. Theories for explaining the emergence of bipedalism, increased cranial capacities, and manufacture of stone tool.
  12. The emergence of the genus Homo and the appearance of Homo erectus and its spread outside of Africa.
  13. Archaic Homo sapiens and other forms of humans, including Neandertals and Denisovans and their relation to other forms of humans.
  14. Examine the origins and adaptations of modern humans, their global dispersal, and their contemporary biological variation.
Learning activities

The course will employ a variety of instructional methods to accomplish its objectives, including some or all of the following:

  • Lectures
  • Small group discussion
  • Large class discussion
  • Class exercises with casts of the human skeleton and fossil hominins
  • Films or videos

 

Means of assessment

Assessments will be based on course objectives and will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will provide a written course outline containing specific criteria during the first week of classes.

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor's Course Outline.

An example of a possible assessment scheme:

Test (3 x 20% each)  60%

Social Annotation of articles on topics of bio. anth.  10%

Paper on topic of bio. anth (i.e primates or fossils)  20%

Attendance and Participation  10%

Total  100%

Students may conduct research with human participants as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving human subjects.

Learning outcomes

At the conclusion of the course the successful student will be able to:

  1. Explain the scope and goals of biological anthropology, describe its place in the broader discipline of anthropology, and articulate the relevance of biological anthropology as a topic of study.
  2. Outline the history and development of evolutionary theory and basic genetics, combining these into an understanding of the synthetic theory of evolution and its mechanisms with specific examples from humans and nonhuman primates.
  3. Gain familiarity with the living nonhuman primates and understand the variation that exists among them in terms of anatomy, behaviour, and ecology.
  4. Identify and describe some of the major trends and key transitions in human evolution, including the fossil and molecular evidence of these in the paleoanthropological record.
  5. Describe the evidence for the emergence of anatomically modern humans and their global dispersal.
  6. Demonstrate understanding of the significance of contemporary human variation in the context of evolutionary biology.
Textbook materials

Texts will be updated periodically. Typical examples are:

Shook, Beth, Katie Nelson, Lesie Aguilera and Lara Braff (2023) Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology. Second Edition. American Anthropological Association, Arlington, VA.

Spencer, Clark Larsen (2025) Essentials of Biological Anthropology. Sixth Edition. W.W. Norton and Company, New York.

Marks, Jonathan (2017) The Alternative Introduction to Biological Anthropology. Oxford University Press, New York.

Boyd, Robert, Joan B. Silk, and Kevin E. Langergraber (2024) How Humans Evolved. Tenth Edition. W.W. Norton and Company, New York.

Requisites

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None 

Equivalencies

None 

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for ANTH 1111
Alexander College (ALEX) ALEX ANTH 1XX (3)
Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO ANTH 260 (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU ANTH 124 (3)
College of New Caledonia (CNC) CNC ANTH 1XX (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU ANTH 1200 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG ANTH 1131 (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC ANTH 111 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU ARCH 131 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU ARCH 1110 (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU ANTH 1XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO ANTH_O 111 (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV ARCL_V 140 (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) DOUG ANTH 1111 (3) & DOUG ANTH 1112 (3) = UNBC ANTH 102 (3) & UNBC ANTH 1XX (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC ANTH 1XX (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC ANTH 250 (1.5)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU ANTH 214 (3)

Course Offerings

There are no course offerings this semester.