Utilizing an ecological perspective, we will address basic questions of why and how humans evolved over the past seven million years. What were the adaptive forces that our ancestors faced and how has this shaped who we are today? To pursue these concepts, we need to adopt a multidisciplinary perspective, drawing from fields as diverse as anthropology, evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, paleontology, geology, physiology, climatology, and psychology. Initially, this will involve a scrutiny of biotic and abiotic factors that may have influenced early human evolution including local and regional environmental/climatic change, associated faunal and floral communities, habitat and dietary reconstructions, seasonality and foraging strategies, tool manufacture and use, the transition into a glacial world characterized by constantly shifting climates, and potential geographic and ecological barriers controlling the dispersal of early humans. While retaining a broad perspective, we will focus on some of the key evolutionary stages in human evolution, ultimately including the extent to which ecology can be linked to the evolution and development of social structures and the capacity for culture in modern humans.

Course Requirements:

Each week, students will be required to formulate three questions related to the readings for the coming week. In their questions, students will try to synthesize across the readings but also include specific mention of material from the readings. Students should also speculate on potential answers before class. Issues brought up by the students will be incorporated into the lecture. There will be two short-answer exams that cover material from the first and second halves of the course. The exam questions will be based on the discussion questions and students will be given the questions a week before they write the exam. Students will be required to write a term paper (8-10 double spaced pages). The paper should have a clear thesis in which they can evaluate and interpret prior research, hypotheses, and theories which have been proposed for a particular topic. I will provide feedback on a rough draft. The term paper will be due on the final exam date for the class.

Intended Audience:

Undergraduate students. This course will appeal to students in multiple fields.

Class Format:

Lecture. Class will meet twice a week for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The first hour will include student presentations and an overview lecture by the faculty. The last 30 minutes will focus on questions/discussions.