Unit information: Early Human Origins in 2012/13

Unit name	Early Human Origins
Unit code	ARCH33020
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Alex Bentley
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit aims to acquaint students with palaeontological, biological and archaeological evidence for the evolution of hominids up to the appearance of anatomically modern humans. Emphasis will be placed on the ecological context of human evolution, the role of behavioural characteristics in this development, and thorough reviews of the fossil, archaeological and comparative records. The unit introduces students to the main elements used in model building, such as anatomy and biomechanics, systematics, quaternary earth sciences, comparative primatology, comparative ethnography, and Palaeolithic archaeology.

Aims:

• To provide you with an overview of the fossil, archaeological, molecular, and environmental evidence for the pattern of human evolution, which will permit you to assess the relative importance of these categories of information in different contexts.

• To enable you to assess the importance of an evolutionary perspective to the human sciences and our perception of what it means to be human.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit you should be able to:

• Define the term ‘Primate’, describe the structure of primate phylogeny, and explain how humans fit into this phylogenetic framework.

• Explain the role of studies of modern primate social structures and anatomy in the interpretation of human evolution.

• Discuss the major categories of palaeoanthropological investigative procedure.

• Summarise the key stages in the pattern of human evolution, both in terms of anatomical changes and cultural changes, as they are currently understood.

• Summarise the geographical location of major sites and finds, and name them.

• Describe the main developments in the history of the science of human evolution, and be able to assess the contribution of key scientists.

• Describe at least two fossils in detail, and assess their impact on the understanding of human evolution.

Assessment Information

1) A 2 hour written examination (50%).

2) An essay (50%).

Reading and References

This handbook contains details of recommended volumes and journal papers that you should find helpful. As the lectures progress you will receive some handouts directing you to particular groups of readings for specific topics, and you are encouraged to explore these week by week in your own time. If you wish to buy a textbook to support this course, I recommend the following:

Boyd, R & Silk J. (2003). How humans evolved . New York ; London

DeSalle, R and Tattersall, I. (2008). Human Origins: What bones and genomes tell us about ourselves. College Station: Texas A&M University Press.

Lewin, R and Foley, R. (2005). Principles of Human Evolution. Oxford: Blackwell.

Scarre, CJ ed (2005). The Human Past: World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames and Hudson.

The field of human evolution is a particularly dynamic discipline, so it is important not to rely on text books alone. Most of the new discoveries from the last two years are not yet incorporated into these. Much more reliable are journals such as the Journal of Human Evolution, Current Anthropology, and the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and others listed below, all of which can be accessed through the libraries or online.