Course

Introduction to Physical Anthropology

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Course code
ANTH 1111
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course surveys the scope, goals, and major discoveries of physical anthropology, dealing particularly with human biological evolution, the hominin fossil record, and present physical diversity.
Course content
  1. Introduction to Anthropology and Physical Anthropology
  2. The Development of Evolutionary Theory           
  3. The Biological Basis of Life and Heredity and Evolution
  4. Introduction to Primatology: The Living Primates and Primate Behaviour
  5. Macroevolution and the Fossil Primates
  6. Human Osteology.     
  7. Early Fossil Hominins of the Plio-Pleistocene
  8. Homo Erectus
  9. Homo Sapiens– Neanderthal and Modern
  10. Contemporary Human Physical Adaptability and Variation
Learning activities

Course content will be conveyed through lectures.  Extensive use will be made of human skeletal elements and casts of fossil hominid discoveries at relevant points in the class presentations.  Videos and slides will also be used to present course material.

Means of assessment

Evaluation will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College policy.  The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific criteria during the first week of classes.

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be: 

Exams (3 x 25% each)  75%
Quizzes (2 x 5% each)   10%
Short Paper (on a specific aspect of interpreting the fossil record)  10%
Attendance and Participation    5%
Total 100%
Learning outcomes

At the conclusion of the course the successful student will be able to:

  1. Discuss scope and goals of physical anthropology, and its place within and contributions to the broader discipline of anthropology.
  2. Discuss the major subfields of physical anthropology and the research techniques employed by each.
  3. Outline the major theories of biological evolution, from Darwin and Mendel to the modern synthesis.
  4. Identify major skeletal elements of the human body.
  5. Discuss the importance of studies of our closest relatives, the non-human primates, to the understanding of human biology and evolution.
  6. Discuss the hominid fossil record:  how it is formed, major discoveries and interpretations, and the limitations inherent in the data.
  7. Assess the major techniques of dating fossil discoveries and their limitations.
  8. Discuss modern human physical diversity and theories on the adaptive value of such inherited traits.

Textbook materials

Texts will be updated periodically. A typical example would be:

  • Jurmain, R., H. Nelson, Kilgore, L. & Trevathan, W.  (2011). Essentials of Physical Anthropology (8 ed.). Wadsworth.

Requisites

Prerequisites

No prerequisite courses.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for ANTH 1111
Alexander College (ALEX) ALEX ANTH 1XX (3)
Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO ANTH 260 (3)
Capilano University (CAPU) CAPU ANTH 124 (3)
College of New Caledonia (CNC) CNC ANTH 1XX (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU ANTH 1200 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG ANTH 1131 (3)
Okanagan College (OC) OC ANTH 111 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU ARCH 131 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU ARCH 1110 (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU ANTH 1XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO ANTH_O 111 (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV ARCL_V 140 (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) DOUG ANTH 1111 (3) & DOUG ANTH 1112 (3) = UNBC ANTH 102 (3) & UNBC ANTH 1XX (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC ANTH 1XX (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC ANTH 250 (1.5)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU ANTH 214 (3)

Course Offerings

Winter 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
35
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
0
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N3460
Times:
Start Time
9:30
-
End Time
12:20
CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
32
Remaining seats:
3
On waitlist
0
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N3460
Times:
Start Time
9:30
-
End Time
12:20