Biological Anthropology Course

Lesson 1 • Defining Biological Anthropology

Outlines the discipline's focus on human biology, evolution, and behaviour. Situates biological anthropology within the four-field anthropological framework.

Lesson 2 • Ethics and Responsibility in Research

Covers ethical obligations when studying human and nonhuman primate subjects. Connects ethical principles to research design and community engagement.

Lesson 3 • Core Theoretical Frameworks

Introduces evolutionary theory, biocultural models, and life-history theory as analytical lenses. Provides the conceptual tools used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Human Biological Variation and Race

Analyses the biological basis of human variation and critiques the race concept. Distinguishes clinal variation from discrete typological categories.

Lesson 2 • Population Genetics Principles

Introduces allele frequencies, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and forces of evolutionary change. Connects population-level processes to observable human diversity.

Lesson 3 • Natural selection in Human Populations

Examines documented cases of selection acting on human traits. Demonstrates how adaptive pressures shape population-level biology.

Lesson 4 • Molecular Anthropology Methods

Introduces mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome, and autosomal markers used to reconstruct population history. Links laboratory techniques to evolutionary inference.

Lesson 1 • Primate Cognition and Communication

Reviews evidence for problem-solving, tool use, and symbolic communication in primates. Situates human language and cognition within a broader primate context.

Lesson 2 • Primate Ecology and Conservation

Examines habitat requirements, dietary strategies, and threats facing primate populations. Links ecological knowledge to conservation priorities and field research.

Lesson 3 • Primate Social Organisation

Analyses mating systems, group structures, and social bonds across primate taxa. Provides comparative context for understanding human sociality.

Lesson 4 • Primate Anatomy and Locomotion

Examines skeletal and muscular adaptations linked to different locomotor strategies. Connects anatomical variation to ecological niches and evolutionary history.

Lesson 1 • Reading the Fossil Record

Explains taphonomy, dating methods, and anatomical analysis used to interpret fossils. Establishes the methodological foundation for palaeoanthropological inference.

Lesson 2 • Genus Homo: Origins and Dispersal

Traces the emergence of Homo and early dispersals out of Africa. Compares cranial and postcranial features across early Homo species.

Lesson 3 • Neanderthals and Denisovans

Examines the biology, behaviour, and genetic legacy of archaic human groups. Integrates fossil and ancient DNA evidence to assess interbreeding with modern humans.

Lesson 4 • Early Hominins and Bipedalism

Surveys Miocene ape-hominin transition and early bipedal genera. Analyses skeletal evidence for the origin and evolution of upright walking.

Lesson 1 • Bone Development and Growth

Covers ossification, epiphyseal fusion, and age-related skeletal changes. Connects developmental biology to age estimation in skeletal analysis.

Lesson 2 • Taphonomy and Skeletal Preservation

Examines postmortem processes that alter bone and affect analytical accuracy. Prepares students to account for taphonomic bias in skeletal interpretations.

Lesson 3 • Skeletal Pathology and Trauma

Identifies common pathological conditions and trauma patterns visible on bone. Links skeletal lesions to health, diet, activity, and violence.

Lesson 4 • Skeletal Anatomy Fundamentals

Introduces the axial and appendicular skeleton, bone tissue types, and anatomical terminology. Provides the descriptive vocabulary essential for all skeletal analysis.

Lesson 1 • Nutritional Influences on Growth

Examines how diet quality, food security, and micronutrient availability shape growth outcomes. Links nutritional status to population-level height variation.

Lesson 2 • Life-History Theory Applied to Humans

Applies life-history trade-offs to human reproductive scheduling and longevity. Situates human developmental patterns within a comparative primate context.

Lesson 3 • Reproductive Biology and Fertility

Covers the biology of puberty, ovarian and testicular function, and fertility variation. Connects reproductive ecology to population dynamics and health.

Lesson 4 • Prenatal and Postnatal Growth

Describes fetal development, birth, and postnatal growth stages through adolescence. Identifies hormonal and nutritional regulators of growth velocity.

Lesson 1 • Thermal Adaptation: Heat and Cold

Analyses morphological and physiological responses to hot and cold climates. Applies Bergmann's and Allen's rules to human body form variation.

Lesson 2 • Frameworks for Studying Adaptation

Defines genetic adaptation, developmental plasticity, and physiological acclimatisation. Establishes the conceptual distinctions used throughout environmental analysis.

Lesson 3 • High-Altitude Adaptation

Compares Andean, Tibetan, and Ethiopian high-altitude adaptations at genetic and physiological levels. Illustrates convergent and divergent adaptive solutions.

Lesson 4 • Infectious Disease and Immune Adaptation

Analyses how pathogen pressure has shaped immune gene diversity and resistance alleles. Connects evolutionary immunology to global disease burden patterns.

Lesson 1 • Reconstructing Diet and Subsistence

Uses stable isotope analysis and dental wear to infer past dietary practices. Connects subsistence strategies to health outcomes and social organisation.

Lesson 2 • Bioarchaeological Theory and Methods

Introduces the biocultural approach to skeletal populations and contextual analysis. Establishes the interpretive framework linking individual skeletons to social history.

Lesson 3 • Social Identity in Skeletal Populations

Examines how age, sex, status, and identity are encoded in mortuary treatment and skeletal modification. Links biological and cultural markers of social differentiation.

Lesson 4 • Palaeopathology and Population Health

Assesses disease prevalence, nutritional stress, and trauma across skeletal samples. Reconstructs population health trajectories through time and across social groups.