STANDARD COMPETENCIES:

 

 1.   Explain the history, purpose, and features of the field as well as its relation, and relative position, within the general framework of academic disciplines.

 2.   Identify, describe, and/or categorize the different branches of anthropology, how they relate to each other and to a basic understanding of the biological and behavioral nature of humankind.

 3.   Explain the investigative procedures employed by anthropology both unique and within the scope of scientific and humanistic approaches.

 4.   Discuss the basic scientific principles of genetics and evolution and how they relate, more specifically, to the biological development of the human species.

 5.   Identify and discuss the special physical and behavioral characteristics of vertebrates and primates and how they relate to the human species.

 6.   Categorize, and discuss, the species Homo Sapiens within the broader biological classification of living organisms.

 7.   Discuss some of the different evolutionary lines found in the order primates, including humans, and explain them in terms of differing lifestyles, environments and other factors.

 8.   Explain some of the important scientific notions regarding the biological origins and development of the human species and the fossil discoveries on which they are based.

 9.   Explain the scientific explanations regarding the human race and variation.

 10. Evaluate some of the causes and trends of racism.

 11. Describe some of the principles on which race classifications are based and the problems they pose.

 12. Explain how genetic variations are passed on within and between populations and the changes they can induce.

 13. Discuss how certain genetic combinations acquire selective value due to environmental pressures and other factors.

 14. Discuss the study of ecology, its relevance to physical anthropology, and its contribution toward a better understanding of the relationship between organisms, including humans, and their environments.

 15. Distinguish between natural social environments and the effects of such human activities as pollution, depletion of resources, and the destruction of entire ecosystems and species.

 16. Describe the physical and behavioral responses of humans to significant changes in the environment and especially with regard to the size, density, and distribution of population.

 17. Select and apply contemporary forms of technology to solve problems or compile information.

 18. Write and speak clearly and logically in presentations and essays.

 19. Read, analyze, and apply written material to new situations.

 TOPICAL OUTLINE:

 

 I.      The Nature of the Discipline

         A.      The Fields of Anthropology

         B.      Methodology

 II.     Principles of Genetics and Evolution

         A.      Basic Genetics

         B.      Evolutionary Principles

 III.    Vertebrates and Primates

         A.      Taxonomy

         B.      Trends in Primate Evolution

 IV.     The Hominid Fossil Record

         A.      Origins

         B.      Early Hominids

         C.      Recent Hominids

         D.      Homo Sapiens

 V.      Human Variation

         A.      Classification Systems

         B.      Polymorphisms

         C.      Population Genetics

         D.      Adaptations

 VI.     Ecology

         A.      Natural Environments

         B.      Social Environments

         C.      Human Response Mechanisms

         D.      Demography