PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology 115 Online
Spring, 2008 Dr. Monica Bellas
Office Phone: (562)860-2451, x2727
Office SS19
Office Hours: MW 11:30-12:30 p.m.,
T 4-5 p.m.
Email: mbellas@cerritos.edu
This course covers the major subject areas within the field of Physical Anthropology: Evolution, Primates, Paleoanthropology, and Modern Humans. Physical anthropologists study past and present human variation and evolution through the fossil record. Nonhuman primate biology and social behavior are also studied to draw inferences about human variation and evolution, along with the forces of evolution. The goals of this course are to help you understand evolution, natural selection, mutation, and the scientific method.
To remain in this class/to add this class:
Your first assignment is due the first day of the class, January 28, 2008, by 11:45 p.m. (Do not submit prior to January 1, 2008.) So that I may ascertain how many people are going to actually “take” the class, people who are enrolled must send me the completed form (see the “Course Assignment” section, beginning on page five). Failure to send me this completed form by the due date will result in you being dropped from the class; your spot will be given to a person on the waiting list.
If you are on the waiting list, you also must complete the first assignment and return it to me via e-mail by 11:45 p.m. on January 28, 2008. I will notify you by e-mail no later than January 30, 2008, if you have been added to the class. Please be aware that I am required to add people to the class in the order they turn in their check-in information.
Textbook and Password:
There is one required textbook for this course. Chapters should be read before the student reads the lecture notes. You will also need to purchase the publisher’s password through the website (www.coursecompass.com) or from the Cerritos Bookstore in order to access the exams. OR you have the ability to take the exams on campus during my office hours, should you elect not to purchase the password to the publisher’s website.
Campbell, Bernard and James Loy.
Humankind Emerging. 9th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2006.
You must have basic computer skills in order to successfully complete this course. This means you must be able to:
Ø Use web browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape
Ø Send and receive e-mail, either web-based, through the college, or through your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Ø Use a word processing program – Word is preferred, but if you don’t have this program, you must be able to save your work as an .rtf file (rich text format)
Ø Manage your files in Windows or MacOS, such as saving, moving, copying, and pasting files
Ø Successfully negotiate a discussion board
You will also need to be able to troubleshoot software and hardware problems. Failure of your computer is not an excuse for missed assignments or exams.
The Course Requirements:
This course consists of lectures, on-line discussions, and written assignments. Attendance and participation are extremely important. It is anticipated that students will read all chapters and lectures and will participate in all on-line discussions and written assignments. Students who have consistently “attended” class on-line and demonstrated a desire to learn the material are more likely to receive the “benefit of the doubt” in the case of a borderline grade at the end of the semester.
E-Mail Courtesy
As there will be upwards of 60 students in this section, it is imperative that you follow these directions: Any e-mail sent to me, including exams, written assignments, extra credit, or questions, must have your name and i.d. number listed in the subject line. I will not give credit for any written work without this information in the subject line. If you have a question, I will do my best to reply within 48 hours during the week. In the event you don’t hear back from me within this time frame, PLEASE resend your question or call me.
Scientific Method and Science Viewpoint
This class satisfies the General Education Requirement Area 5 in Biological/Life Sciences. As such, the class is taught from a scientific point of view, using the scientific method (hypotheses building and testing) and scientific facts (verifiable truths). We will be examining biological relationships and behavioral similarities between nonhuman primates (monkeys and apes) and humans, in addition to studying the evolution of hominins (bipedal primates) from the common ancestor we share with chimpanzees and bonobos. While I realize that some of you have a belief system as to how humans were created that may contradict the scientific theory of evolution, in this class you are required to base all of your answers to assignments and test questions on the scientific evidence of evolution, not on your religious ideology. If you find it impossible to segregate your religious beliefs in the context of this course, I would suggest that you drop the class. If you do include your religious ideology in your answer, you will receive a zero on the assignment or test answer.
Writing Skills
This is a college course; as such, you will spend the time necessary to compose essay answers of at least 100 words (use your word count feature in your word processing program to be sure). Failure to do so will result in substantial loss of points. Your essays also must be written in grammatically correct English, have proper spelling, and be logically organized. I will deduct points if your work is not grammatically correct and/or if your spelling is incorrect. Additionally, if your essay is not organized in a logical manner, you will receive a zero on the assignment.
Cheating and Plagiarism
I have a zero tolerance policy for students who cheat or plagiarize, as does the college (see the Academic Honesty/Dishonesty Policy in your class schedule). Cheat or plagiarize in my class and you will receive a failing grade.
Cheating is defined as follows:
“to deceive or mislead somebody, especially for personal advantage; to break the rules in a game, examination, or contest, in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage” (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861596414/cheat.html, 10/30/03)
If you cheat, you will fail the class. No exceptions, no excuses. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, making up a source, consulting with another student regarding answers to test questions or written assignments, and/or providing answers to another student. You are to submit your own work.
Plagiarism is a type of academic dishonesty and is defined as follows:
“1. stealing somebody’s work or idea: copying what somebody else has written or taking somebody else’s idea and trying to pass it off as original
2. something plagiarized: something copied from somebody else’s work, or somebody else’s idea that somebody presents as his or her own” (http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/plagiarism.html, 10/30/03)
This means if you copy someone else’s work and claim it as your own, you are plagiarizing. This includes, but is not limited to, cutting and pasting information from a website or an online article without citing the source, copying information directly from a source without placing it in quotation marks and citing the source, summarizing information from a source without citing it, rearranging a few words or sentences from a source and not citing it. If you do plagiarize, you will fail the class. No excuses, no exceptions.
Grades:
Grades are based on your performance on tests and written activities. Be sure to keep date and time stamped copies of all the work that you submit to me in case it gets “lost” in cyberspace. Each student will be responsible for providing me with proof of a completed assignment in the event that you do not receive credit for your work.
Tests:
There will be four exams for this course. Exams will consist of multiple choice and true/false questions. The exams will be timed; you may not use your notes or your book for the exam. If you don’t complete the exam in the allotted time, the exam will “close” and you won’t be able to complete the questions. I would suggest you watch your time carefully when completing the exam. Each exam will be worth 50 points.
No make-up exams will be given. I drop your lowest exam score. If you miss more than one (1) exam, you will receive a zero (0) on the second and subsequently missed exams.
Exams will be due by 11:55 p.m. on the second day following the posting of the questions. For example, your first exam takes place on February 21, 2008. Your completed answers will be due by 11:55 p.m. on February 23, 2008. I will not accept late exams. It is in your best interests to complete the exam as soon as possible and email the answers to me well before the deadline time. All exams will be time-stamped, and if your exam is sent after 11:55 p.m. on the due date, you will receive a zero. It will be up to the student to verify with the instructor that the exam has been received.
Written Activities:
We will be engaging in two kinds of written activities during the session: individual assignments and group assignments. Both types of assignments must be completed by 11:55 p.m. on the days they are due. Due dates are the dates I have listed in your syllabus. For example, your first assignment is listed under January 28, 2008 and is due no later than 11:55 p.m. on January 28, 2008. Late assignments will not be accepted. It will be up to the student to verify with the instructor that the assignment has been received. All written assignments will be worth 20 points each.
Individual assignments need to be completed at home individually and submitted via e-mail to the instructor by 11:55 p.m. on the day they are listed in your syllabus. These activities are worth 20 points each. Answers must consist of the following:
Ø a well-organized, grammatically correct, properly spelled essay of at least 100 words
The grading scale will be based on the following criteria:
· You failed to answer the question (0-4 points)
· Lots of work is still needed (5-8 points)
· Some key elements are missing (9-12 points)
· Good effort, but still lacking some elements (13-16 points)
· Outstanding (17-20 points)
Group assignments are those written assignments that will be completed as a group. I will email your group members’ names, together with email addresses, by October 2, 2006. You will work as a group to complete the assignment and submit it for grading by 11:55 p.m. on the day they are listed in your syllabus. I will not accept work by individuals. All of these assignments MUST be completed as a group. Late assignments will not be accepted. Posted answers must consist of the following:
Ø a well-organized, grammatically correct, properly spelled essay of at least 100 words
Ø the names of participating group members
How you work with your fellow group members is up to you. I would suggest that you:
Ø contact each other frequently via e-mail
Ø don’t wait until the night before the assignment is due to write your answer
Ø choose a different group leader for each assignment – this person might be responsible for organizing the communications between group members and for posting the final answer to the discussion board
Ø all agree to the content of the final answer prior to its posting on the discussion board
Group assignments are worth 20 points. I will grade each group answer based on clarity, logic, content, grammar, and spelling for a possible total of twenty (20) points. All contributing members of the group will receive the same score, regardless of their participation in constructing the answer. The grading scale will be based on the following criteria:
· You failed to answer the question (0-4 points)
· Lots of work is still needed (5-8 points)
· Some key elements are missing (9-12 points)
· Good effort, but still lacking some elements (13-16 points)
· Outstanding (17-20 points)
Extra Credit:
You will have the opportunity to earn a total of 25 points in extra credit during the course of the fifteen week session. For each web address (provide me with the link via e-mail) or newspaper/magazine article published within the last two years (again, provide me with the link via e-mail) that deals with some aspect of physical anthropology, you will receive five points.
You may also spend time at the zoo, observing and documenting great ape behavior and the time it occurred for up to 25 points. You must observe the behavior of one of the great apes – a gorilla, an orangutan, a chimpanzee, or a bonobo – and write down the activity the ape engaged in, together with the time it occurred. For instance:
12:00 p.m., chimp jumped on a rock
12:02 p.m., chimp watched the people watching him
12:05 p.m., chimp climbed off the rock and knuckle walked to another chimp
12:06 p.m., chimp began grooming the other individual
and so on.
You may not observe the behavior of more than one of the apes, nor may you switch exhibits (for instance, watch a chimp for an hour, an orangutan for another hour, and a gorilla for ½ hour). Pick one ape and stick with it. Email your behavior log to me; for each ½ hour that you document its behavior, you will receive 5 points.
All extra credit will be due no later than 11:55 p.m. on April 30, 2008. It is in your best interest to send in your extra credit as soon as possible; if your article or website is not acceptable, but you turn in the address prior to the due date, you will have a second chance to resubmit another for extra credit. If you wait until the due date, you won’t have a second chance.
While I do not grade on a curve for your assignments, I do grade on a modified curve for your exams. I will take the highest score for each exam and that will be the total points possible for the exam. Cheating or plagiarism will result in an automatic “F” in the course. Your grade will be calculated on the following scale: 90-100 % A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, 59% and below F.
Technical Problems
You may (or may not) experience problems with accessing the website. The server may be down – the reasons are myriad. This is why I have included in this syllabus a schedule of what your assignments are, and when they are due. If you cannot access the website, for whatever reason, please e-mail your assignment directly to my Cerritos account: mbellas@cerritos.edu. Make sure you include your name and student identification number in the subject line! Include a short note explaining that you couldn’t access the website. Then contact the Distance Education Office and notify them that the website is down (extension 2837).
In the event you cannot access the publisher’s website for exam questions on the day they are available, e-mail and call me [(562) 860-2451 ext. 2727] immediately. I will then make sure that you do get access to the questions in a timely fashion.
It is the student’s responsibility to turn in all assignments and exams on time, even if the website is down!
Week 4 Module One
1/28 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due
If you are enrolled in the class or on the official waiting list:
As we will not be meeting in person for orientation, you must submit the following via e-mail in order to remain in the class. In other words, I will be using your submission of the following paragraph as a way to check initial attendance (do not submit prior to January 1, 2008). If you do not submit this page to me by 11:45 p.m. on 1/28/08 through the TalonNet class website, I will drop you from the class and begin adding people from the waiting list.
If you wish to be added to the class:
Copy and paste the paragraph below, filling in the pertinent information, and send to me via e-mail (mbellas@cerritos.edu).
I have read the information contained in the on-line syllabus for the Physical Anthropology (Anth. 115) On-Line class, Spring, 2008, taught by Dr. Monica Bellas. I agree to all the terms and conditions set forth therein, and have had a chance to ask Dr. Bellas about any questions I do have.
Signed:
(Your Name)
(Your Student Identification Number)
(Date)
Reading: Paleoanthropology and Evolution
Chap. 1, pp. 1-23
Lecture Notes I and II (on website under “Resources”)
1/31 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due
Send me any information you’d like me to know about you, such as your major, why you’re taking this class, what you hope to learn, your interests, etc. Submit through the TalonNet class website.
Week 5 Module One cont’d.
2/4 Reading: Genetics and Evolution
Chap. 2, pp. 24-56
Lecture Notes III and IV (on website under “Resources”)
Having problems understanding the basics of genetics? Visit the following website: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/
2/6 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due
1. Individually, go to http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-misconceptions.html and read about the five major misconceptions about evolution. Summarize and send via TalonNet.
Week 6 Module One cont’d.
2/11 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due
1. Individually, go to http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/history_01 and look at the top banner. Click on one time period (pre1800, 1800s, 1900 to present). Then choose one person and summarize his/her contribution to evolutionary thought. Send this to me via TalonNet.
2/13 Reading: Lecture Notes V (on website under “Resources”)
2/14 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. You have read about cladogenesis and the three types of speciation. These concepts are also known as adaptive radiation. Individually, visit the following website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/darwin/origin/, and explain how adaptive radiation works using the pollenpeepers as an example. Post your answer on the TalonNet Discussion Board.
Week 7 Module One cont’d.
2/18 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due
1. Visit MendelWeb (http://www.mendelweb.org/Mendel.html) and read the first four sections of his paper. What are your overall impressions of Mendel’s research? Post your answer on the TalonNet Discussion Board.
2/21 Exam 1 (Chaps. 1-2) Go to www.coursecompass.com to access the exam under
“Assignments.” Due 2/23/08 at 11:45 p.m.
Week 8 Module Two
2/25 Check your e-mail for your group assignment
Readings: Primate and Human Characteristics
Chap. 3, pp. 58-89
Lecture Notes VI (on website under “Resources”)
Lecture Notes VII (found on website under “Resources”)
View the Taxonomy for Order Primate (on website under “Resources”)
Compare and contrast chimp and gorilla skulls (on website under “Resources”) – this is for your study. You do not need to send me any information for these types of assignments
2/27 Readings: Behavior of Living Primates
Chap. 4, pp. 90-129
Lecture Notes VIIa, VIIb, VIIc (found on website under “Resources”)
Go to http://www.leakeyfoundation.org/audio/ and click on Dian Fossey. Listen to her lecture on mountain gorillas.
Week 9 Module Two cont’d.
3/3 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually visit the following primate web site (http://www.primates.com/) and investigate the monkey category (make sure your choice is a monkey). Pick one and read the description, and then use a search engine to find out more information, such as habitat, diet, social behavior, location. Summarize and e-mail through TalonNet.
3/5 Readings: Behavior of Living Primates
Chap. 5, pp. 130-159
Lecture Notes VIII (on website under “Resources”)
Go to the following website: http://anthro.palomar.edu/earlyprimates/first_primates.htm. Go to the end of the lesson, and click on the “Did humans evolve from apes?” video clip. Don’t forget to take notes.
3/6 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. In your small groups, answer the following question: Do monkeys and apes have minds? Discuss the evidence and consider the implications of how we (humans) treat these animals. Group Leader: Post your answer(s) to the TalonNet Discussion Board.
Week 10 Module Two cont’d.
3/10 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, go to http://www.becominghuman.org. Click on “Learning Center,” then “Building Bodies,” then assemble the human and chimp skeletons by clicking and dragging the bones. What are the similarities between these skeletons? the differences? E-mail this information to me via TalonNet.
3/13 Exam 2 (Chaps. 3-5) Go to www.coursecompass.com to access the exam under
“Assignments.” Due 3/15/08 at 11:45 p.m.
Week 11
Spring Break
Week 12 Module 3
3/24 Reading: Australopithecus
Chap. 6, pp. 160-183
Chap. 7, pp. 183-220
Lecture Notes IX (on website under “Resources”)
View Taxonomy for Family Hominine (on website under “Resources”)
Compare and contrast Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus boisei (on website under “Resources”)
Go to http://www.becominghuman.org and watch the documentary. (Don’t forget to take notes.) Stop it when you get to the information about Homo erectus.
Go to the Leakey Foundation website (http://www.leakeyfoundation.org/audio) and click on Don Johanson. Listen to his lecture on Lucy and the First Family (don’t forget to take notes).
Want to learn more about Australopithecus afarensis? Go to the following websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/human/human_evolution/mother_of_man1.shtml
http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/afar.html
3/27 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, visit the Leakey Foundation website (http://www.leakeyfoundation.org/audio) and click on Maeve Leakey. Scroll down and listen to her last three audio clips (“The Discovery of Kenyanthropus platyops, A description of Kenyanthropus platyops, and A New Hominid Species: Kenyanthropus”). Why did she and her team decide to name a new genus? E-mail this information to me via the TalonNet website.
Week 13 Module Three cont’d.
3/31 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. In your small group, go to the following website: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/pelvis.html and compare and contrast the postcranial anatomy (in this case, from the waist down) of chimps, Australopithecus africanus and Homo sapiens. Group leader: Post this information on the TalonNet discussion board.
4/1 Readings: Homo
Chap. 8, pp. 221-238
Chap. 9, pp. 239-261
Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/human/human_evolution/food_for_thought1.shtml and read about how diet influenced the development of the brain. (Don’t forget to take notes.)
Go to Smithsonian Institution (http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/a_tree.html) to learn more about hominin phylogeny.
Week 14 Module Three cont’d.
4/7 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. In your small group, answer the following questions: Should the earliest hominans be called human? What criteria would you establish for the use of the term? Group leader: Post your answer(s) to the TalonNet Discussion Board.
4/9 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, answer the following question: What evidence supports the idea that tool use stimulated the beginnings of habitual bipedalsim? E-mail this information to me via TalonNet.
4/10 Exam 3 (Chaps. 6-9) Go to www.coursecompass.com to access the exam under
“Assignments.” Due 4/12/08 by 11:45 p.m.
Week 15 Module Four
4/14 Reading: Homo erectus
Chap. 10, pp. 262-287
Chap. 11, pp. 288-311
Lecture Notes X (on website under “Resources”)
Compare and contrast Homo erectus and Homo sapiens (on website under “Resources”)
Go to http://www.becominghuman.org/ and play the documentary from the discussion of Homo erectus to the end of the film. (Don’t forget to take notes.)
Visit this website to view more pictures of fossil hominins: http://www.msu.edu/~heslipst/contents/ANP440/index.htm
4/17 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, go to the site for the Nariokotome Boy (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/15000.html) and describe the aspects that are Homo erectus-like. Compare and contrast with the skulls from Java and China. E-mail both sets of information to me via TalonNet.
Week 16 Module Four cont’d.
4/21 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, go to http://www.handprint.com/LS/ANC/stones.html and read about Oldowan and Acheulean tools. What change do you think occurred that allowed Homo erectus to create more complex tools? E-mail this information to me via TalonNet.
4/23 Reading: Other Homo species
Chap. 12, pp. 311-330
Chap. 14, pp. 357-388
Compare and contrast Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens (on website under “Resources”)
Go to the Leakey Foundation website (http://www.leakeyfoundation.org/audio) and click on Leslie Aiello. Listen to her lecture on Living in the Last Ice Age (don’t forget to take notes).
4/24 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Many would argue that Neanderthals were capable of engaging in ritual behavior. In your small group, go to http://www.waspress.co.uk/journals/beforefarming/journal_20021/abstracts/papers/20021_04_s.pdf and read the arguments for and against these behaviors. Argue for or against this proposition. Group Leader: Post your answer(s) to the TalonNet Discussion Board.
Week 17 Module Four cont’d.
4/28 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, go to the following websites and read the articles:
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/96/13/7604
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/96/13/7117
Comment on why Trinkhaus et al. believe the skeleton to be a mixture of human and Neandertal characteristics, and why Tattersall argues against them. E-mail this information to me via TalonNet.
4/30 EXTRA CREDIT DUE by 11:45 p.m.
Reading: Evolution of Modern Humans
Chap. 15, pp. 389-416
Chap. 16, pp. 417-437
Lecture Notes XI (on website under “Resources”)
Go to this website to test your knowledge about prehistoric life: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/games/cavemen/
5/1 Reading: The Human Condition
Chap. 17, pp. 438-466
Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/frontiers_20050504.shtml and listen to Frontier’s May 4, 2005 lecture on “Are humans still evolving?” by clicking on the “Listen to 4 May” link. Don’t forget to take notes.
Week 18 Module Four cont’d.
5/5 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Individually, argue for or against the Regional Continuity Model (also known as the Multiregional Model). What weaknesses/strengths do you see in the model? E-mail this information to me via TalonNet.
5/6 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Go to the following website (http://www.ucm.es/info/paleo/ata/english/main.htm), click on “the sites”, click on the “sima de los huesos” cave, then “hominids”, read the article, and summarize the findings of the researchers on the health of the Homo heidelbergensis. E-mail this information to me via TalonNet.
5/8 E-mail/Discussion Assignment Due:
1. Visit Lascaux, France (http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/). Be patient, it may take a while to load. Click on “Discover” and then take the Virtual Visit. Examine the cave paintings and the accompanying text. What were the painters trying to communicate and why? Post your answer to the TalonNet Discussion Board and comment on at least two other students’ responses (your comments should be meaningful and not just “I agree with what you said”).
Week 19 Module Four cont’d.
5/12 Exam 4 (Chaps. 10-12, 14-17). Go to www.coursecompass.com to access the
exam under “Assignments.” Due 5/14/08 by 11:45 p.m.