ANTH 150 - Human Adaptations

Course Description

  • Recommended Prep: ENG 22/60 OR placement in ENG 100

Human variation, physical and cultural, examined for its possible survival value under particular conditions from prehistoric times to present. How various ways of life and physical characteristics are adaptive or maladaptive. Implications for the future.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of ANTH 150, the student will be able to:

  • Compare the topics and interactions of the major fields of physical anthropology and cultural anthropology and the major subfields including archaeology, ethnology and linguistics
  • Discuss some current theories about biological and cultural factors that influence human evolution
  • Describe several genetics processes involved in human evolution and biological differentiation including mutation and natural selection
  • Describe several biological and cultural differences and similarities in several human populations
  • Discuss the scientific and popular concepts of "race"
  • Develop an understanding of culture useful in discussing cross-cultural issues in Hawaii, the United States and the world
  • Produce a research paper based on fieldwork to describe primates using college-level writing
  • Produce a research paper based on published ethnographic fieldwork to describe another culture using college-level writing with citations