Transfer Student Courses in Biological Anthropology (Division 318)

Fall Term, 1999 (September 8 - December 22, 1999)

To see what Transfer Student courses have been added or changed in Biological Anthropology this week go to What's New This Week.

Sections 002-011 meet the Upper-Level Writing Requirement.

Instructor(s): John Mitani (mitani@umich.edu)

Prerequisites & Distribution: (4). (NS). (BS).

Credits: (4).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

An introductory course that will familiarize students with the primate order. The major focus of the course will be the behavior of prosimians, monkeys, and apes in the wild. Special attention will be given to primate ecology and long-term field studies. Social organization, kinship systems, sexual behavior, vocal communication, competition, and other topics will be described and analyzed from the perspective of modern evolutionary theory. This course can be taken on its own, and serves as an introduction to Anthropology 369 (Primate Social Relationships) and 568 (Primate Behavioral Ecology). Three lecture hours, and one discussion weekly. Two midterms, a term paper, and a final exam.

Instructor(s): arr.

Prerequisites & Distribution: Senior standing and permission of instructor. (3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for credit twice.

Credits: (3; 2 in the half-term).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

Seniors who choose to enter the honors program undertake a senior project under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Most often this takes the form of an original paper of greater scope than is possible in an ordinary term paper, and it gives the student experience in conducting and writing up his or her own research. Students who are interested in joining the senior honors program should consult with the departmental honors advisor for biological anthropology. Previous participation in the college honors program is not a prerequisite for joining the senior honors program.

Section 001.

Instructor(s): Harris

Prerequisites & Distribution: A strong background in the natural sciences is assumed, including any two of the following courses: Anthropology 161, 368; Biology 162 (or 152, 154), 404, 494.(3). (Excl). (BS).

Credits: (3; 2 in the half-term).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This course considers the anthropological significance of recent advances in natural selection theory. Particular topics include: cooperation, reciprocity, inclusive fitness, sexual selection, mating systems, and parental investment. Students will read the primary scientific literature to learn how anthropologists test evolutionary hypotheses in varied geographic and cultural contexts (for example, Ache hunter-gatherers of Paraguay, Dogon agriculturalists of Mali, Kipsigi pastoralists of Kenya, 19th-century Europeans, and contemporary North Americans). Natural selection theory will also be used to probe the field of human reproductive ecology, with emphasis on the demographic transition, historical demography, the evolution of menstruation, and female fecundity. In addition to exams, students will write a term paper in which they hone their ability to discriminate among alternative view points using both qualitative and quantitative data. A strong background in the natural sciences is assumed, including any two of the following courses: Anthropology 161, 368; Biology 152, 154, 404, 494.

Instructor(s): arr.

Prerequisites & Distribution: Permission of instructor. (1-3). (Excl). A maximum of three credits of independent reading may be included in a concentration plan in anthropology. (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits.

Credits: (1-3).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

Laboratory training and work in the techniques used in various aspects of research in biological anthropology.

Instructor(s): Harris

Prerequisites & Distribution: Biol. Anthro. 467 and permission of instructor. (2). (Excl).

Credits: (2).

Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted.

This is an advanced seminar in evolutionary psychology. Topics include: human social relationships, morality, religion, and the emotions. Students will read provocative books, such as Robert Wright's The Moral Animal (or other books of current interest), as well as original scientific articles. Students will be encouraged to discuss the subject matter in relation to their own experiences. This is a fast paced course intended for students who have already read any two of the following texts: The Selfish Gene (R. Dawkins), The Biology of Moral Systems (R.D. Alexander), Introduction to Behavioral Ecology (J.R. Krebs and N.B. Davies), or Sex, Evolution, and Behavior (M. Daly and M. Wilson). Related books may be substituted for the above. Grading will be based on class participation and an in-depth research paper.