Anthropology 1
Human Evolution in Philosophical Perspective
Syllabus


Professor Christopher Matthews
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Hofstra University

Fal 2002

Purpose of the Course
This course explores the origins of humanity as a species.  Its goals are to consider the historical development of evolutionary theory, the mechanisms of the evolutionary process, the rise of the human species, and the comparative location of humans beings in the animal world.  A particular focus will be on the relationship between nature and culture as a distinctive characteristic for understanding humanity.  The course will examine the impact of subsistence, language, kinship, and art on the development of humanity over the last 5 million years.

Textbooks
Bernard G. Campbell and James D. Loy, Humankind Emerging, the concise edition
Michael Alan Park, Biological Anthropology: An Introductory Reader, 2nd edition
John T. Omohundro, Mystery Fossil, Version 3.0. CD-ROM

There are also articles on reserve and electronic reserve at the library (e-reserve code is anth1)

Assignments and Assessment
Exams (55 points)
There will be a midterm (worth 25 points), and a final (worth 30 points).  These will be short answer format.  Short answers are 4-5 sentence identifications of terms, people, ideas, and other relevant facts discussed in the readings and lectures.  A review sheet will be handed out in class prior to each exam.  Each will cover only the material discussed in class and the readings up to the time of the exam.  Exam dates are listed in the class schedule below.

Quiz (5 points)
An in class quiz on the bones of human skeleton will be given on October 25th.

Research projects  (40 points)
You will also develop and prepare one research paper, but the project consists of four components that each contribute to the overall point total.  These components and their due dates are described below (after the class schedule), the final10 page paper is due on the last day of class. Click here for more details on these projects.
 

Class Schedule


Part 1  (September 4-13)
What is a human being/what is being human?
 Readings: Ingold (Humanity and Animality) on reserve;
 Park, Reader, Chapters 1, 15, 31, 32 

September 16, Yom Kippur, No Class

Part 2  (September 18-20)
The evolution of evolutionary theory
 Readings:   Campbell and Loy, Chapter 1, pp. 1-11
 Park, Reader, Chapters 8, 9

Part 3 (September 23-27)
Life: the source and maintenance of genetic variation
 Readings:  Campbell and Loy, Chapters 2 & 3
 Park, Reader, Chapters 10, 13, 14
 

Component 1 Of Research Project Due September 30
 

Part 4 (October 2-11)
Among the primates: the animals we are
 Readings:  Campbell and Loy, Chapters 4 & 5
 Park, Reader, Chapters 17, 19, 20
 Movie: Among the Wild Chimpanzees (9/7)

Part 5 (October 14-18)
Techniques of Paleoanthropology: fossils, dirt, and dating
 Readings: Campbell & Loy, Chapter 1 pp. 11-13
 Omohundro, Mystery Fossil, entire including exploring the CD-ROM
 Movie: In Search of Human Origins, Part 1 (10/16)
 

Component 2 of Research Project Due October 21
 

Part 6. (October 21-25) – Skeleton Quiz on October 25
The Earliest Hominids
 Readings:  Campbell and Loy, Chapters 6 & 7
 Park, Reader, Chapter 23
 

Midterm Exam, October 28
 

Part 7. (October 30-November 8)
The Genus Homo: Culture takes over
 Readings: Campbell and Loy, Chapters 8 & 9
 Park, Reader, Chapter 24
 Movie: In Search of Human Origins, Part 2 (11/4)

Part 8. (November 11-15)
The Neanderthals
 Readings: Campbell and Loy, Chapter 10
 Park, Chapter 25
 Movie: In Search of Human Origins, Part 3 (11/15)
 

Component 3 Of Research Project Due November 18
 

Part 9. ( November 20-December 11)
Modern Sapiens: Consciousness, Language, and Art
 Readings: Campbell and Loy, Chapter 11
 Conkey (Humans ands Materialists and Symbolists) on reserve
 Park, Reader, Chapter 26
 Movie: Secrets of the Mind (11/22)

 

Go To Anth 1 Projects

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