Biological Anthropology

Human biological diversity and introduction to problems of biological diversity in living populations. Variation in genetic makeup: our size, shape, and color; our bodily responses to heat, cold, and workload; our neural responses to the world. Basic evolutionary principles applied to explain origins, mechanisms, and trends of human diversity. Topics include the interplay of biology and culture; adaptation to environmental stresses including cold, high altitude, and megacities; co-evolution of infectious disease, including STDs, smallpox, and malaria; basic Mendelian, molecular, and population genetics; primate biology and behavior; human growth; and the selective significance of contemporary behaviors such as using social media, reshaping the natural environment, taking risks in extreme sports, and online dating that meld genetic predispositions with new cultural frames. Includes a weekly lab. Typically offered in Fall semester.