Introduction to Biological Anthropology - Spring 2010

Course: Anth 2, 7 hours/week, 4 semester units (includes laboratory) 3 hours lecture/week, 3 hours lab/week, 1 hour in the Student Success Center/week.  College of the Siskiyous.

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Instructor: Ken Goehring (rhymes with "herring")
Contact: Please contact me through email at anth2@bluetang.org or visit me before or after class. Note that all of the class information, including this handout, can be found online at http://www.siskiyous.edu/class/anth2/. We can also arrange a meeting if we need more time.

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Textbook and Materials: We will be using: Our Origins, by Clark Spencer Larsen, 1st edition. This text is in the bookstore and is also available in an electronic version. In addition to the text, you will need a standard 3-ring binder to hold the class syllabus and lab work. You will need a time keeper and computer account at the college.  These are obtained in the computer lab.

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Advisories: It is advised that a student in Anthropology 2 can read at a 10th grade (High School sophomore) level, be eligible for English 1A and have completed Math 81 or equivalent. We will apply computational methods to a number of problems and a working knowledge of basic math is assumed. Knowlege of algebra is desired, but not required.

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Objectives of the Course and Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course a student will be able to:

• distinguish between a scientific approach and all other approaches to knowledge
• identify the major hominid finds and relate their importance in our understanding of human evolution.
• explain how fossils and archeological sites are dated, including the theory and problems with each technique.
• explain the modern concept of genetics--including population genetics--and its role in evolutionary theory.
• explain the various mechanisms of human evolution and the data that support them.
• defend or refute statements that are made concerning the nature of the evidence for human evolution.
• analyze fossil skull replicas for evidence of evolutionary change in the human lineage
• demonstrate a working knowledge of the mechanisms of evolution.
• compare and contrast members of the Order Primata in terms of structure, behavior and phylogeny.
• describe employment opportunities in the field of Biological Anthropology

• calculate probablilities of outcomes of Mendelian genetic problems.
• calculate gene, genotype and phenotype frequencies given appropriate population genetic data.
• calculate estimated dates of artifacts given Carbon-14 readings.
• calculate estimated dates of virtual wood samples by applying denrdrochronology.
• solve forensic problems given DNA data.
• identify the gender of a human skeleton with reasonable accuracy.
  
• identify paleolithic, mesolithic and neolithic tool types based on manufacturing techniques.
• derive the probable evolutionary tree for a group of organisms based on myoglobin data
  

Requirements and Grading

I expect you to attend class, do the reading assignments and bring questions to class to be discussed. Quizzes will be given most every Thursday. We will count your ten best quizzes, but we will take at least 12. We will have two exams. There will also be an identification quiz as part of the final (2nd) exam. The breakdown will be as follows:

Item	Weight	Notes
Homework	100 points   (17%)	5 @ 20 points each
Quizzes	200 points (33%)	best 10 @ 20 points each
1st Exam	50 points (8%)	TBA
Grant Project	25 points (4%)	A paper written as a grant proposal.
Lab Book of Reports	150 points (25%)	15 @ 10 points each
2nd Exam	75 points (12%)	May 20, Thursday, 1:00 pm
Total	600 points

Grades will be assigned (at a minimum) in accordance with the following scale :
90%+ = A, 80%+ = B, 70%+ = C, 60%+ = D, 59%- = F  You can always access your grades online at: http://www.gradeserver.org/users/goehring/

Honesty : I expect and demand integrity and honesty in all of our dealings. I will not tolerate cheating on exams, homework, or any other form of dishonesty. People who violate this trust will receive an F in the class, regardless of points earned.

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Attendance and Late Work Policy : I expect people to attend class, to be on time if possible, to be courteous and polite if late. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes. If you have a school-sponsored event during quiz or exam periods, you must contact me a week before the quiz or exam is given. Generally there are no make-ups on missed lab work. Lab reports are due as announced and will be reduced 10% for being late. I will not accept any work more than one week late. I reserve the right to drop any student that has missed three class meetings or three assignments without contacting me. If you have an emergency that affects attending class,  please contact me. It is your responsibility to understand and follow these guidelines. In the event of dangerous weather, arrangements will be made to make-up postponed work. If the roads are unsafe, please don't risk your life on icy roads to come to class.

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Special Assistance: The College of the Siskiyous has many services available to students who need special assistance. See the College Catalog for a description of these services. If you feel that you will need any special assistance in this class, please discuss the problem with me within the first two weeks of class so that I can make plans to attempt to accommodate your needs.

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Note: The topics covered in this course include the concept of organic evolution, specifically, evidence for human evolution, and includes discussion of the scientific view of the origin of humans. We will also be discussing the AIDS virus, mental retardation, forensics and other, sometimes disturbing, topics. Grading is based on the demonstrated understanding of the concepts, not on belief or views towards such topics.