Class Anthropology

Anthropology is a comparative science that studies humans in their multiple social, cultural and biological dimensions, seeking to understand the differences and similarities between different groups. The biological aspect of anthropology questions itself about the physical and biological characteristics of human populations and how they vary through space and time. Above all, Biological Anthropology uses an evolutionary perspective and is concerned with the transformations that have occurred since the common ancestor of humans with other primates, to present-day humans.

1. Introduction to Anthropology

2. Framework of the curricular unit in the context of the course

3. The human behavior in evolutionary context: primatology, human ethology, the evolution of cooperation

4. Paleoanthropology and the reconstruction of human evolutionary history: origin of hominid, evolution of the genus Homo , the origin of modern humans, is human evolution over?

5. Human biological variation and adaptation: human genetics, the different phenotypes and major anthropometric parameters, their adaptations and vulnerabilities, and their relation to geographical distribution

During the learning process students will work in an interdisciplinary way, integrating the knowledge acquired in other CUs and applying it directly to the contents taught. Several contents and learning tools will be made available in addition to those taught in class that will allow students more autonomy in the acquisition of knowledge related to the contents of the CU.

The use of forums/wikis will be promoted, which allow the creation of a final document prepared by all students together, and enable the discussion and reflection of the CU topics.

• Boyd, R. and Silk, J.B. (2009). How Humans Evolved. 5 th Ed. W.W. Norton & Company, New York.
• Ember, C.R., Ember, M.R., Peregrine, P.N. (2011). Anthropology. 13th Ed. Pearson, New Jersey.
• Stanford, Craig, John Allen & Susan Anton. (2017). Exploring Biological Anthropology. Pearson Higher Ed.