Biological Anthropology Course

Lesson 1 • Core Principles of Evolutionary Theory

Covers natural selection, adaptation, and common descent as foundational mechanisms. These principles underpin every subsequent topic in the course.

Lesson 2 • Defining Biological Anthropology

Introduces the four-field approach and the specific domain of biological anthropology. Positions the discipline within broader science and sets the stage for evolutionary analysis.

Lesson 3 • Scientific Method in Anthropology

Covers hypothesis formation, peer review, and the role of falsifiability in anthropological research. Equips students to critically evaluate primary literature throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Genetics and Heredity Basics

Introduces DNA structure, Mendelian inheritance, and mutation as sources of variation. Provides the genetic vocabulary needed for population and evolutionary genetics chapters.

Lesson 1 • Forces of Microevolution

Analyses mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection as agents of allele frequency change. Each force is illustrated with human population examples.

Lesson 2 • Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Defines the null model of no evolution and its five assumptions. Serves as the baseline against which real evolutionary change is measured.

Lesson 3 • Molecular Markers and Phylogenetics

Introduces SNPs, microsatellites, and mitochondrial DNA as tools for reconstructing population history. Connects molecular data to macroevolutionary patterns covered later.

Lesson 4 • Human Genetic Variation Patterns

Describes clinal variation, FST statistics, and the distribution of diversity within versus between populations. Challenges typological race concepts with empirical data.

Lesson 1 • Primate Taxonomy and Diversity

Classifies living primates from prosimians to apes using morphological and molecular criteria. Establishes the phylogenetic context for understanding human uniqueness.

Lesson 2 • Primate Ecology and Conservation

Examines habitat requirements, dietary strategies, and threats to primate survival. Contextualises primate research within conservation biology and fieldwork ethics.

Lesson 3 • Primate Cognition and Tool Use

Reviews evidence for theory of mind, cultural transmission, and tool manufacture in great apes. Establishes cognitive precursors to human language and technology.

Lesson 4 • Primate Social Organisation

Compares solitary, pair-bonded, and multi-male group structures across primate taxa. Social patterns inform models of early hominin social life.

Lesson 1 • Stone Tool Industries and Behaviour

Introduces Oldowan and Acheulean technologies and debates over their cognitive demands. Tool use marks a behavioural threshold connecting early hominins to later Homo.

Lesson 2 • The Human-Ape Divergence

Reviews molecular clock estimates and fossil candidates for the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. Establishes the temporal and phylogenetic starting point for hominin evolution.

Lesson 3 • Early Hominin Diet and Ecology

Uses stable isotope analysis and dental microwear to reconstruct australopith diets. Dietary shifts are linked to habitat change and encephalisation trends.

Lesson 4 • Bipedalism: Origins and Mechanics

Analyses skeletal indicators of bipedal locomotion and competing hypotheses for its origin. Bipedalism is the defining hominin locomotor adaptation and shapes all subsequent anatomy.

Lesson 1 • Out of Africa I: Early Dispersals

Traces Homo erectus dispersal routes into Asia and Europe using fossil site chronology. Evaluates ecological and behavioural factors enabling range expansion.

Lesson 2 • Interbreeding and Archaic Introgression

Presents ancient DNA evidence for gene flow between modern humans and archaic populations. Students assess the functional significance of introgressed alleles in living humans.

Lesson 3 • Neanderthals: Biology and Behaviour

Analyses Neanderthal cold-adapted anatomy, Mousterian technology, and symbolic behaviour evidence. Neanderthals serve as the key comparative case for modern human origins.

Lesson 4 • Archaic Homo Species in the Middle Pleistocene

Reviews Homo heidelbergensis, Homo naledi, and Denisovans as Middle Pleistocene diversity. Highlights the complexity of the hominin tree before modern humans.

Lesson 1 • Multiregional Versus Recent African Origin

Contrasts the two major models of modern human origins and evaluates evidence for each. Students practise weighing competing hypotheses using fossil and genetic data.

Lesson 2 • Anatomical Modernity: Defining Features

Identifies the cranial and postcranial traits distinguishing modern humans from archaic Homo. Provides the morphological criteria used to classify fossil specimens as modern.

Lesson 3 • African Fossil Record of Early Homo sapiens

Reviews key African sites and their chronology to establish Africa as the cradle of modern humans. Fossil evidence is integrated with genetic data on African diversity.

Lesson 4 • Out of Africa II: Global Dispersal

Maps dispersal routes into Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas using genetic and archaeological evidence. Students evaluate timing, routes, and population bottlenecks.

Lesson 1 • Body Size, Shape, and Climate

Applies Bergmann's and Allen's rules to human body proportions across climatic zones. Students interpret skeletal data as evidence of thermoregulatory adaptation.

Lesson 2 • Immune System Variation and Disease

Analyses HLA diversity, pathogen-driven selection, and population differences in disease susceptibility. Bridges evolutionary biology with epidemiology and global health.

Lesson 3 • Nutritional Adaptation and Diet

Examines amylase gene copy number, lactase persistence, and fatty acid metabolism as dietary adaptations. Connects evolutionary history to contemporary diet-related health disparities.

Lesson 4 • Skin Pigmentation and UV Radiation

Explains the genetic basis of melanin variation and its adaptive relationship to UV radiation gradients. Integrates folate and vitamin D hypotheses into a unified model.

Lesson 1 • Brain Evolution and Cognitive Complexity

Traces encephalisation trends, neural reorganisation, and language evolution across the hominin lineage. Links neurological change to behavioural and social complexity.

Lesson 2 • Biocultural Evolution and Niche Construction

Examines how human cultural practices modify selective environments through niche construction. Integrates gene-culture coevolution as a uniquely human evolutionary dynamic.

Lesson 3 • Life History Theory and Human Evolution

Applies life history trade-offs to explain human longevity, extended childhood, and menopause. Connects reproductive strategies to brain size and social complexity.

Lesson 4 • Evolutionary Medicine and Future Directions

Applies evolutionary frameworks to chronic disease, microbiome research, and emerging genomic technologies. Prepares students to engage with the frontier of biological anthropology.