Los Angeles Harbor College
Anthropology 101: Human Biological Evolution
Fall 2013
Dr. Sasha David
davidae@lahc.edu
Section 0103: Monday & Wednesday 9:35 – 11 AM
Office Hours: Thursdays 1 - 6 PM @ NEA 157
Office Phone: (310) 233-4577
Course Description: Introduction to the anthropological study of human
evolution. Topics include the mechanisms of evolutionary change, genetics,
human variation, and the reconstruction of human evolutionary history
through an examination of the fossil record and through the use of
comparative studies of our closest biological relatives, the living monkeys and
apes.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Describe and explain the human evolutionary sequence for the last 7
million years.
2. Describe characteristics of each of the stages of human evolution for the
last 5 million years.
3. Outline the historical development of main concepts of physical
(biological) anthropology.
4. Describe the basis of our modern evolutionary understanding of human
biological variation.
5. Explain simple Mendelian genetic processes and apply these to simple
cases.
6. Describe the main points of the modern synthetic theory of evolution.
Assigned readings for the course:
2010. Larsen, Clark Spencer. Our Origins: Discovering Physical Anthropology
(Second Edition). New York: W. W. Norton.
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COURSE POLICIES:
Academic Honesty/Plagiarism Statement: All students are expected to adhere
to the Los Angeles Harbor College standards of academic honesty. These
standards forbid plagiarism, unlawful copying and, or, failure to give credit to
sources that you may use in the research and writing of your class work.
Cheating and other forms of misconduct are covered under this statement.
Failure to comply with these standards will result in a failed assignment and, or,
a failed grade in this class.
In other words, plagiarism is when you copy something straight out of a
book, or cut and paste from a webpage, and only change a few words here and
there, without putting quotes around it, and then put it in your paper, without
acknowledging that it’s someone else’s work. Another way to define plagiarism
is that it occurs any time that you try to take credit for something you did not
write. Any paper that does this will receive a 0 and could result in you failing
the class.
Also, every paper that you turn in to me, unless otherwise noted, is an
individual assignment; it is NOT group work. Therefore, if your paper is the
same or similar to another student’s paper, it will be considered plagiarism and
you will receive the penalties stated above.
Controversial Content Statement: This course includes discussions of a frank
and coarse nature regarding particular subjects including race, religion and
sexual orientation protected by the college’s academic freedom statutes that
may be considered offensive and controversial to some. When such topics may
arise during the course of this semester and a student wishes to be excused,
please notify the instructor that you wish to be excluded from class discussion
on the ground that it is personally offensive and the instructor will excuse you
until such discussion has concluded.
Cell phone policy: If your cell phone goes off during class or if I see it in your
hand, I will keep it for the rest of the class period. If you leave class to answer a
phone call or to make a phone call, you may not come back and you will lose
your attendance/participation point for the day. Cell phones may not be on the
desk, in your hand or in any way visible while class is in session—including
during testing.
Disruptive behavior: Students who engage in behavior that is disruptive to the
learning environment will receive a ―0‖ for their attendance/participation score
for the day and they will be asked to leave the classroom and not return until
the following class meeting. (―Disruptive behavior‖ is defined as interacting
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with one’s neighbor at an inappropriate time, sleeping, using the Internet, or
otherwise disturbing the learning environment.) Repeated instances of
disruptive behavior may lead to a failed grade or withdrawal from the class.
Lateness, Leaving Early, or Missing Class: You must be present when
attendance is called, as a minimum requirement for receiving your attendance
and participation point for the class. If you know that it will be difficult for
you to arrive on time for this class, you should enroll in another section.
However, on certain occasions Dr. David will grant partial credit to
students who are late. It is your responsibility to see Dr. David after class so
that you may explain your case and possibly receive partial credit for your
attendance/participation score for that day. If you do arrive late at class, please
enter through the door at the back of the room. (It is extremely disruptive
when students arrive late and enter through the front door.)
If a student leaves early without the professor’s prior permission,
attendance will be recalled and the attendance points for the class will be
adjusted accordingly.
Absences due to illness (accompanied by a doctor’s note) and court
appearances will be excused. If you do not have health insurance or you are
unable to schedule an appointment with your doctor when you are sick, you
can ask a pharmacist at a drug store to write a note for you and I will accept
this in lieu of a doctor’s note. Absences due to illness that are unaccompanied
by a medical professional’s note will not be excused. I will not accept sick
notes from your family members.
I will excuse one work-related absence per semester, whether this is due
to a job interview or your work schedule. I will need you to present a note
from your supervisor or proof of your job interview. These notes must clearly
indicate the time and date of your work obligation.
Disability Statement: Students with a verified disability who may need
authorized accommodation(s) for this class are encouraged to notify the
instructor and the Office of Special Services or Disabled Students as soon as
possible, at least two weeks before any exam or quiz. All information will
remain confidential.
Assignment Format and Submission: All assignments for this course must be
typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced, and formatted using
the default formatting standards in Microsoft Word. Assignments will NOT be
accepted via email. If your printer is not working, print your paper at the
library or at Fedex Office. I will not accept a broken printer as an excuse for
your late paper. All work must be turned in at class on the day it is due, in hard
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copy (paper) format, and STAPLED. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you have an
excused absence, turn in your paper on the day that you return along with your
excused absence note.
Due Date Policy: All exams/assignments/presentations are due on the
specified day in the course syllabus. NO late exams/assignments/presentations
will be accepted.
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SOME WORDS OF ADVICE:
Turn in Your Homework: If you do not turn in any homework this semester,
you will likely fail the class or receive a D, even if you have perfect attendance.
Hearing From Dr. David: All emails that I send to you—and there may be
quite a few—will only go to your LACCD email account, so make sure you
have it up and running ASAP!
Something I Never Want to Hear: ―This class really means a lot to me, so
accept my late papers and excuse my absences.‖ If you want to do well in this
class, turn in your papers on time and come to class. It’s that simple! I do not
―negotiate‖ grades. Your grade is what you earned.
Start Keeping a Calendar: If you don’t have one already, use a calendar
(whether it’s a desk or wall calendar) and keep all your assignment due dates
marked in it. I am not going to remind you when things are due!
***
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING FOR THE COURSE:
Attendance and participation: You will receive one point per class that you attend.
In order to receive this point, you must come to class on time and not leave
early. (25% of final grade)
Unannounced (“Pop”) Quizzes: On certain days, Dr. David will give unannounced
quizzes on the subject matter that has been covered in class that day. If you do
not pass the quiz, you will receive a 0 for your attendance/participation point
for that day.
Written summaries of assigned readings: In order to show that you completed the
reading on time, you are required to turn in papers that summarize the assigned
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reading according to the due dates listed below. You will be expected to write
one page of summary per assigned chapter. It is of the utmost importance that
these summary papers are completely in your own words, as plagiarism carries
serious consequences, as stated above. Due dates for these papers, and the
particular chapters they will cover, are listed below. (25% of final grade)
Exams: The midterm and final exam are completely multiple-choice tests and
they will cover only the lecture material. You will need to bring a Scantron and
a # 2 pencil with you in order to take these exams. The midterm exam will
cover the lectures up through and including Primate Behavior, while the final
exam will be cumulative.
As the exams for this class require a great deal of memorization, the best
way to study for them is to make flash cards based on your lecture notes.
Beginning as soon as possible, quiz yourself with the flashcards every week.
This way you will be as prepared as possible for the exams.
(Midterm Exam: 25% of final grade / Final Exam: 25% of final grade)
Calculation of final grades: This class will use the traditional numerical values for
each letter grade. (A = 90%-100%; B = 80%-89%; C = 70%-79%; D = 60%69%; F = 59% or lower.)
Lecture Schedule:
8/26: Introduction
8/28: Introduction
9/4: Genetics
 Summary Paper Due: Chapters 2 & 3
9/9: Mendel
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 4
9/11: Mendel
9/16: Macroevolution
 Summary Paper Due: Chapters 8 & 9
9/18: Dogs That Changed the World: Rise of the Dog
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9/23: The Primate Order
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 6
9/25: Primate Behavior
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 7
9/30: Dogs That Changed the World: Dogs by Design
10/2: Midterm Review
10/7: Midterm Exam
10/9: Becoming Human: First Steps
10/14: Australopiths
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 10
10/16: Lab Work
10/21: Homo erectus
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 11
10/23: Lab Work
10/28: Becoming Human: Birth of Humanity
10/30: Homo heidelbergensis and Neandertals
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 12
11/4: Lab Work
11/6: Early Homo sapiens
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 13
11/13: Lab Work
11/18: Becoming Human: Last Human Standing
11/20: Race and Human Variation
 Summary Paper Due: Chapter 5
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11/25: Lab Work
11/27: Film TBA
12/2: Final Exam Review
12/4: Final Exam Review
12/9: Final Exam 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Please note specific time)
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