“Know Thyself: Humans and Evolution”
Resources for Teaching Human Evolution
From the 2011 Darwin Day Teacher Workshop
The 2011 Darwin Day Teacher Workshop was cosponsored by the Crow Institute and
NESCent. The following collection of resources was designed to help instructors find
classroom activities and additional background information on the topic of human
evolution. These resources and others are also available on the Crow Institute site.
Human Evolution Sites
Atapuerca Live
A web site focusing on human evolution. Includes a digital time line and information
about archaeology research. Available in Spanish and English.
Becoming Human
Becoming Human brings together interactive multimedia, research and scholarship to
promote greater understanding of the course of human evolution
Forensic Anthropology
This site has links to many anatomy and anthropology resources, including several
interactive skeletal activities.
The Genographic Project
National Geographic's "Genographic Project is seeking to chart new knowledge about
the migratory history of the human species ...closing the gaps of what science knows
today about humankind's ancient migration stories."
Hall of Human Origins
This site from the American Museum of Natural History has a collection of classroom
activities for teaching human evolution.
Human Evolution: the fossil evidence in 3D
"Welcome to the UCSB online 3D gallery of modern primate relatives and fossil
ancestors of humans. This gallery contains five modern primate crania, and five fossil
crania. The crania can be rotated 360 degrees. Each cranium is accompanied by a short
description of its relevance to human evolution, and a site map."
Human Origins
From the Dolan DNA Learning Center, this module explores human evolutionary history
using a variety of approaches including phylogeny, behavior, morphology, and genetics.
The Meaning of Sex: Genes and Gender
This Holiday Lecture from HHMI focuses on sex determination, and in the process covers
evolution of the Y chromosome. In addition to full lectures, there are short clips and
animations.
The Smithsonian Institution Human Origins Program
An information site based on field work in paleontology. This site includes recent media
coverage, information about paleontology research, and some interactive activities.
Evolution in the News stories
Evolution in the News stories are based on evolutionary biology research covered in the
popular media. Stories include a text discussion of the key ideas and concepts,
illustrations, podcasts, references, discussion questions and links to related activities.
Making Sense of Hominin DNA
July 2010
In 2008, a 40,000 year old pinky bone from a child was discovered in a Siberian cave.
The bone was not enough to identify the species of its possessor, but since both
Neanderthals and humans are known to have lived in the area at the time, scientists
assumed it belonged to one of these two species. That all changed in March of this year,
when German researchers announced that they'd managed to extract DNA from the
fossil — and it didn't match up to the known genetic sequences of either humans or
Neanderthals! Is the human family tree even bushier than we'd previously thought?
Evolving Evolution Aptitude
October 2010
Tibetan highlanders have no trouble living at 13,000 feet year in year out, and many
Nepalese Sherpas (who are ethnically Tibetan) climb parts of Mount Everest without the
supplementary oxygen most people require. How do they do it? New research makes it
clear that Tibetan highlanders haven't just acclimated to their mountain home; they've
evolved unique physiological mechanisms for dealing with low oxygen levels.
The evolutionary history of running
March 2010
Barefoot running may sound like just another fitness fad, soon to go the way of hulahoops or jazzercise, but this trend has a surprising connection to evolution.
Evolution in the fast lane?
February 2008
Have humans, with all of our technological advances, exempted ourselves from further
evolution? Perhaps not. This news brief examines genetic research which suggests that
human evolution may have actually accelerated in our recent history.
Ghosts of epidemics past
October 2008
HIV and malaria both constitute global health threats, respectively affecting more than
30 million and 200 million people worldwide. This news brief describes new research
that reveals an unexpected evolutionary link between the two.
When it comes to evolution, headlines often get it wrong
September 2007
Newly discovered fossils are prompting some scientists to consider a minor revision of
the relationships shown on the human family tree. This news brief clarifies the
occasionally misleading news coverage of the story.
Seeing the tree for the twigs
May 2007
Recent research has revealed that, in at least some ways, chimpanzees have evolved
more than humans have. This news brief delves into this finding further and, in the
process, debunks common misperceptions of human evolution.
Got lactase?
April 2007
The ability to digest milk is a recent evolutionary innovation that has spread through
some human populations. This news brief describes how evolution has allowed different
human populations to take advantage of the nutritional possibilities of dairying.
Genealogy enthusiasts mine DNA for clues to evolutionary history
November 2007
This news brief turns an evolutionary lens on businesses that use DNA for genealogy
research and, in the process, illuminates what their genetic tests really track.
A fish of a different color
February 2006
This news brief describes how a mutated zebrafish gene may help us understand human
evolution and the genes underlying human skin color. Humans and zebrafish both
inherited the same pigmentation gene from their common ancestor.
Media Coverage
Articles and media collections from the New York Times Archaeology and Anthropology
section :
Tools suggest earlier human exit from Africa
Nicolas Wade, New York times, January 28, 2011
Excavating Ardi
A slide show of the excavation site and process.
Envisioning our distant past
Video interview with Viktor Deak an artist who reconstructs physical and digital
models of distant human ancestors. (5 minutes)
Siberian fossils were Neandertal’s eastern cousins, DNA reveals
Carl Zimmer, New York Times, December 22, 2010
“An international team of scientists has identified a previously shadowy human
group known as the Denisovans as cousins to Neanderthals who lived in Asia
from roughly 400,000 to 50,000 years ago and interbred with the ancestors of
today’s inhabitants of New Guinea.”
Ardipithecus ramidus articles and multimedia
From the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS), publishers of Science.
“In its 2 October 2009 issue, Science presents 11 papers…describing
an early hominid species, Ardipithecus ramidus, and its
environment. These 4.4 mya hominid fossils sit within a critical early
part of human evolution, and cast new and sometimes surprising
light on the evolution of human limbs and locomotion, the habitats occupied by early
hominids, and the nature of our last common ancestor with chimps.
Science is making access to the extraordinary set of materials FREE (non-subscribers
require a simple registration). ”
How evolution gave us the human edge
This collection includes radio stories on bipedalism,
language, throwing, skin color and other aspects of
human anatomy as well as delving into our ancient
past and exploring human emotions and culture. The following list is a sampling of the
stories:
Un-Natural Selection: Human Evolution's Next Steps
Evolving Culture: Where Do We Go From Here?
Autism Gives Woman An 'Alien View' Of Social Brains
Monkey Business: Fairness Isn't Just A Human Trait
From Grunting To Gabbing: Why Humans Can Talk
A Handy Bunch: Tools, Thumbs Helped Us Thrive
Baby Steps: Learning To Walk, The Hominid Way
The Human Edge: Finding Our Inner Fish
Classroom Activities
A tale of three lice
A case study on Phylogeny, Speciation, and Hominin Evolution
Clicker case by Erin Barley and Joan Sharp, Simon Fraser University
This “clicker case” explores the questions of when hominins lost their body hair and
began wearing clothing by examining the surprising phylogeny of human head, body,
and pubic lice. Students are led through the scientific process as they are asked to think
about hypotheses, predictions, results, and conclusions, and learn about phylogeny,
speciation, and hominin evolution. The case is presented class using a set of PowerPoint
slides (~1.5MB) that includes multiple-choice questions students answer using personal
response systems (“clickers”). It could be adapted for use without these technologies.
Developed for a general biology class focusing on evolution and ecology, the case is also
suitable for use in a non-majors introductory biology course.
Of Mammoths and Men
Nancy Schiller and Clyde Freeman Herreid, University of Buffalo
The discovery of a mammoth frozen in the Siberian tundra is the backdrop for this case
study, which explores theories for the extinction of the great Ice Age mammals and
Homo neanderthalensis. Students research evidence for and against the different
hypotheses and then discuss in class the merits of each. The case was designed for use
in a freshman evolutionary biology course, where it was used as the last case in the term
after studying the general principles of evolution, genetics, and biodiversity. Instructors
of courses in anthropology and paleontology might also find it appropriate.
The Dating Game: A case study in human evolution
Shoshana Tobias and Clyde Freeman Herreid, University at Buffalo
In this role-playing case study, students attempt to determine the identity of a variety of
human fossils based on characteristics described during a “quiz show.” The case was
designed to be used in a general biology class for freshman students where the focus is
on evolution. It could also be used in an anthropology or paleontology course.
The Missing Link
M. Elizabeth Strasser, Sacramento State College
The setting for this case study is a paleontological dig in East Africa, where “Sam,” an
American undergraduate student, has unearthed part of what appears to be an
ancestral human skull. Students read the case story and then, in the lab, they examine a
number of primate skulls and are asked to make up a phylogeny based on their
observations. The is case study is designed for a lower division, general education
laboratory course that accompanies a lecture course in physical (biological)
anthropology.
“When Wilma Met Fred: A Human Evolution Case”
Clicker case by Bruno Borsari, Biology Dept., Winona University
Description: A travel study course led by “Dr. Heinen” in Tanzania aims at searching for
human fossils in an effort to better understand where humans come from. Will Dr.
Heinen and his students find the “missing link” between early hominins and non-human
primates? The case story is complemented by a classroom game that mimics modern TV
shows where people look for an ideal “soul mate.” Students are challenged to identify in
the audience mates of the same species through clues disclosed by the instructor during
the “quiz” show classroom exercise. The case and game facilitate learning about human
evolution and the physical/cultural characteristics of a few, selected species of early
hominins. Developed for a non-majors’ introductory biology course, the case is also
suitable for courses in evolution, natural history, biological anthropology, and general
biology for majors with modifications. Although designed as a “clicker case” for in-class
presentation using PowerPoint slides (~1.3MB) punctuated by questions that students
answer using electronic personal response systems (“clickers”), the case can be adapted
for use without these technologies.
Books on Human Evolution
Your Inner Fish
Neil Shubin, 2006, Vintage
Human Evolution: A very short introduction
Bernard Wood, 2006, Oxford University Press
What Does It Mean To Be Human?
Richard Potts and Chris Sloan, 2010, National Geographic