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APG/BIO 282G - Sapiens: The changing nature of human evolution
SPRING 2017 - 3 CREDITS - TTH 1:00-2:15 - CBLS 010
Neolithic hunters (5000 BC) – red ochre painted on rock.
Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer, Algeria)
Dr. Holly Dunsworth
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Office: Chafee 177
Office hours: F 1-3 pm (drop-in) or by appt
[email protected]
Dr. Jason Kolbe
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Office: CBLS 189
Office hours: TTH 11-12 pm (drop-in) or by appt
[email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION
An overwhelming body of evidence from anthropology, biology, ecology, zoology, primatology,
genetics, and many other fields describes how we arrived at our current condition: Incessantly
chattering, naked, culturally dependent, big-brained, bipedal creatures who are diverse in
appearance and culture, and inhabit nearly all types of habitats on Earth. There are many hallmarks
of humanity, but here we focus on one in particular: Homo sapiens has altered life on this planet like
no other species has before. Humans have instigated the “Anthropocene”—a time when our
activities have imparted a significant impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems, circling back to
impact our own evolution as well. A key question, prominent in the zeitgeist, is whether humanity
has brought Earth to the brink of a sixth mass extinction and if so, how did we get here? Our
approach to this course poses the question: what can we learn about the ecological and
evolutionary impact of humans on Earth by studying our own evolutionary origins? Our journey
traces human origins and history, while moving toward an understanding of Homo sapiens as a
significant cause of evolutionary change, ending with an in-depth description of our widespread
influence on Earth's systems and what efforts are being made to slow and even reverse what we’ve
done. Class time will be spent on lectures and discussions. Fully meets the STEM Knowledge and
Global Responsibilities outcomes in the new General Education program.
REQUIRED READING
 Masters of the Planet: the search for our human origins by Ian Tattersall (2012)
 Sapiens: a brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (2015)
 The Sixth Extinction: an unnatural history by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014)
 Additional readings will be posted on Sakai, as well as non-required reference materials.
NON-REQUIRED REFERENCE BOOKS
 Biological Anthropology, 3rd Edition by Stanford, et al. (2013, Pearson) - a copy is on reserve at
the library
 The Evolution Explosion: how humans cause rapid evolutionary change by Stephen Palumbi
(2001)
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Anthropology Program Student Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the historical development of anthropology and be able to
characterize how each subfield contributes to the unified discipline.
2. Compare past and present cultures, including ecological adaptations,
social organization, and belief systems, using a holistic, cross-cultural,
relativistic, and scientific approach.
3. Explain biological and biocultural evolution, describe the evidence for
human origins and evolution, and evaluate both scientific debates and
cultural controversies over genetic determinism, biological race, and
evolution.
4. Describe the origin of language and importance of symbolic
communication in the human condition, including the social context of
linguistic change.
5. Explain quantitative and qualitative methods in the analysis of
anthropological data and critically evaluate the logic of anthropological
research.
7. Apply anthropological research to contemporary environmental, social, or
health issues worldwide.
In this course…
Introduced
Introduced
Reinforced
Introduced
Introduced
Reinforced
IDEA-SRI Learning Objectives: Essential or Important
Gaining factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends); Learning fundamental
principles, generalizations, or theories; Learning how to find and use resources for answering
problems and solving problems; Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed
by professionals in the field most closely related to this course; Developing skill in expressing
oneself orally or in writing; Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking
answers.
ASSESSMENT
Breakdown of the final grade:
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Poster Presentation
Assignment Notebook
TOTAL
15%
15%
15%
20%
35%
100%
GRADE SCALE
A = 93.5 – 100%; A- = 89.5 – 93.4%; B+ = 87.5
– 89.4%; B = 83.5 – 87.4%; B- = 79.5 – 83.4%;
C+ = 77.5 – 79.4%; C = 73.5 – 77.4%; C- = 69.5
– 73.4%; D+ = 67.5 – 69.4%; D = 59.5 –
67.4%; F = below 59.5%
Quizzes 1, 2, and 3
These will consist of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, true-false, matching, short answer and essay.
Expect to write quite a bit on quizzes. They are based on classroom material, discussions,
readings and activities from Units 1, 2, and 3 respectively. (Note that a great majority of
assignment materials, which are complementary to the classroom materials, are not included on
quizzes.) More information will be provided in class. There is no final exam.
Poster Presentation
During the time scheduled for our final exam, we will hold a poster session instead. You will each
prepare and present a poster on a specific answer to a very broad question: “What can humans do
to slow or reverse the Anthropocene?” Some homework assignments during the semester will be
tailored to guiding your preparation of the material you will present in poster form. You will find at
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least eight scholarly articles (and up to eight news-media sources) that are relevant to answering
your chosen, very specific take on this broad question. Looking in your books’ bibliographies will
be a great launching point for your research. You will prepare a visually effective poster, a fiveminute spiel, and a short paper with annotated bibliography, citing all your sources, at the time of
the final exam, which is our poster session. Details about how to find good scholarly sources and
other helpful guidance for this project will be provided in class.
Assignment Notebook
This is a thin folder or binder where you will organize all of your assignments in chronological
order, affixed with three holes. Due dates and readings for the assignments are listed below. Details
about the specific tasks that you are being asked to perform for each assignment will be provided
on the first day of class for each unit. Most assignments will ask you to write a half to a full page
answer to a question about the reading. Some will have you reflect on the reading, some will ask
you to elucidate and synthesize key concepts, while others will lead you through a critical analysis
of the reading with a scientific eye (this is known as the CREATE process), and others will involve
watching films or performing interactive activities on-line. These assignments are timed to
maximize your engagement with the course material and your mastery of it. Some will ask you to
answer questions about a reading assignment. You must write in your own words; quoting longer
than one sentence at a time is not permitted. You may type or write your work. Either is fine.
Grading is based on whether you completed the assignments thoughtfully and professionally, not
whether you completed them entirely correctly. In other words, you earn a point for each
assignment by putting forth the effort to complete it—as long as it’s a solid effort, is mostly
accurate, and earnestly attempts to answer the questions that are asked! We grade this way
because these assignments are often struggles that we’re asking you to face on your own ahead of
in-class discussion and explanation. Do not do the assignment if you did not do the reading. This is a
no brainer and it is obvious when we see it. Affix your name permanently to the front cover of your
notebook. No loose things inside. No blank papers included. No plastic sleeves around the pages.
SPRING 2017 DAILY SCHEDULE – Mark your calendars!
Unit 1 – Where humans came from
Lectures and class discussions will follow the readings listed below.
Book: Masters of the Planet: the search for our human origins by Ian Tattersall (2012)
Publisher’s summary: "When Homo sapiens made their entrance 100,000 years ago they were
confronted by a wide range of other early humans--Homo erectus, who walked better and used fire;
Homo habilis who used tools; and of course the Neanderthals, who were brawny and strong. But
shortly after their arrival, something happened that vaulted the species forward and made them the
indisputable masters of the planet. This book is devoted to revealing just what that difference is. It
explores how the physical traits and cognitive ability of Homo sapiens distanced them from the rest
of nature. Even more importantly, Masters of the Planet looks at how our early ancestors acquired
these superior abilities; it shows that their strange and unprecedented mental facility is not, as
most of us were taught, simply a basic competence that was refined over unimaginable eons by
natural selection. Instead, it is an emergent capacity that was acquired quite recently and changed
the world definitively."
Week 1
1/24 - Tuesday - Introduction and human origins
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1/26 - Thursday - Read Masters of the Planet Chapters Prologue-2 for in-class
discussion and complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 2
1/31 - Tuesday - Read Masters of the Planet Chapters 3-5 for in-class
discussion and complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
2/2 - Thursday - Read Masters of the Planet Chapters 6-8 for in-class
discussion and complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 3
2/7 - Tuesday - Read Masters of the Planet Chapters 9-11 for in-class
discussion and complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
2/9 - Thursday - Read Masters of the Planet Chapters 12-14 for in-class
discussion and complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 4
2/14 - Tuesday – Conclusions and review for quiz
2/16 - Thursday: Quiz 1
Unit 2 – The humans have arrived
Lectures and class discussions will follow the readings listed below.
Book: Sapiens: a brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (2015)
Publisher’s summary: “From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of
humanity’s creation and evolution that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined
us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years
ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—Homo
sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history
of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks
the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of
modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem
to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted
narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events
within the context of larger ideas. Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last
few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the
past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also
ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?”
Week 5
2/21 - Tuesday - Beginnings of the Anthropocene
2/23 - Thursday - Read Sapiens Chapters 1-3 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 6
2/28 - Tuesday - Read Sapiens Chapters 4-6 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
3/2 - Thursday - Read Sapiens Chapters 7-9 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
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Week 7
3/7 - Tuesday - Read Sapiens Chapters 10-12 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
3/9 - Thursday - Read Sapiens Chapters 13-15 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Spring Break - March 13-17
Week 8
3/21 - Tuesday - Read Sapiens Chapters 16-18 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
3/23 - Thursday - Read Sapiens Chapters 19-20 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 9
3/28 - Tuesday - Conclusions and review for quiz
3/30 - Thursday - Quiz 2
Unit 3 – One species to rule them all?
Lectures and class discussions will follow the readings listed below.
Book: The Sixth Extinction: an unnatural history by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014)
Publisher’s summary: “Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass
extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted.
Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be
the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the
dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In The Sixth Extinction, two-time winner of
the National Magazine Award and New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert draws on the work
of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines, accompanying many of them into the
field: geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs
up the Andes, marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. She introduces us to a
dozen species, some already gone, others facing extinction, including the Panamian golden
frog, staghorn coral, the great auk, and the Sumatran rhino. Through these stories, Kolbert
provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the
evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in
revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be
mankind's most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the
fundamental question of what it means to be human.”
Week 10
4/4 - Tuesday - Humans as the cause of evolution
4/6 - Thursday - Read Sixth Extinction Chapters Prologue-2 for in-class discussion
and complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 11
4/11 - Tuesday - Read Sixth Extinction Chapters 3-5 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
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4/13 - Thursday - Read Sixth Extinction Chapters 6-8 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 12
4/18 - Tuesday - Read Sixth Extinction Chapters 9-11 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
4/20 - Thursday- Read Sixth Extinction Chapters 12-13 for in-class discussion and
complete notebook assignment prior to the start of class
Week 13
4/25 - Tuesday - Conclusions and review for quiz
4/27 - Thursday - Quiz 3; Notebooks due today for grading (will be returned
at the course finale)
Finale – What can humans do to slow or reverse the Anthropocene?
Poster presentations (during our scheduled final exam time)
COURSE GUIDELINES AND HELPFUL INFORMATION
Academic integrity, honesty and responsibility URI’s Student Handbook, in particular Section
1.4 (http://www.uri.edu/judicial/ch1.html#4), provides guidelines concerning academic
honesty. Additional assistance is available at the Writing Center and the Academic Enhancement
Center. Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student’s name on any written
work, quiz or exam shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student’s own
independent thought and study. Work should be stated in the student’s own words, properly attributed
to its source. Students have an obligation to know how to quote, paraphrase, summarize, cite and
reference the work of others with integrity. The following are examples of academic dishonesty: •
Using material, directly or paraphrasing, from published sources (print or electronic) without
appropriate citation; Claiming disproportionate credit for work not done independently;
Unauthorized possession or access to exams; Unauthorized communication during exams;
Unauthorized use of another’s work or preparing work for another student; Taking an exam for
another student; Altering or attempting to alter grades; The use of notes or electronic devices to gain
an unauthorized advantage during exams; Fabricating or falsifying facts, data or references;
Facilitating or aiding another’s academic dishonesty; Submitting the same paper for more than one
course without prior approval from the instructors.
Accommodations Any student with a documented disability is welcome to contact me as early in
the semester as possible so that we may arrange reasonable accommodations. As part of this
process, please be in touch with Disability Services for Students Office at 330 Memorial Union, 401874-2098 (http://www.uri.edu/disability/dss/) or 239 Shepard Building, Feinstein Providence
Campus, 401-277-5221.
Attendance Showing up for class, itself, is not rewarded with points because it is the least you can
do. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get announcements, handouts, etc. We will be
happy to discuss material that you have missed, but we will not repeat lectures verbatim in office
hours. Make friends in this course because (a) life’s better that way but also because (b) they will
help you if you miss a class. Check Sakai for any handouts or announcements.
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Distractions We do it prehistorically: Turn off cell phones, laptops, and all other electronic devices
during class. If you must use a beeping machine to take notes, please silence it and turn off your
link to the Internet. If you must use a laptop, then you must sit in the back row so that no one
can sit behind you and be distracted by your shiny screen (unless you get special permission to sit
closer).
Grades Take personal responsibility for your performance in this class. Remember, we do not give
out grades, you earn them. We do not take off points, you earn points. Please keep track of your
progress in class. At any given time in the semester, you should know what your grade is without
having to ask me.
Help! This is a challenging course. Success requires that you keep pace with the work, understand
course concepts, and study effectively. The Academic Enhancement Center
(http://www.uri.edu/aec/) is a great place to do this. At the AEC you can work alone or in groups,
and tutors and professional learning specialists are available to help you to learn, manage your time
and work, and study well. On the Kingston campus, it’s open Monday through Thursday from 10
a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays until1 p.m. All services are free (the coffee is free as well!), and no
appointment is needed. You can call for complete information at 874-2367, or just stop by the
center on the fourth floor of Roosevelt Hall. In Providence, the Academic Skills Center (ASC) is at
239 Shepard Building, (401) 277-5221. Hours are posted each semester at
http://www.uri.edu/prov/studentresources/help/academicskills.html. In addition, the Saturday
Skills for Success program offers workshops and tutoring from 10 am -1pm during fall and spring
semesters.
Class Notes Take notes on readings, lectures, discussions and in-class activities. If you miss a class,
check Sakai and ask a T.A. to find out we did, and look at a friend’s notes. Read, review, synthesize
(with readings and with other days’ notes), and summarize your lecture notes regularly. It is your
responsibility to ensure that you are covered for any lectures you miss, and forming a small group
for that can be helpful (especially for students missing class for official URI athletic and cultural
events).
Reading Tips If you can only stand to read for ten minutes at a time, then do that. Before you read,
turn off technology or throw it far across the room, then skim through the pages, glancing at any
figures and predict what you think you’re about to learn and what you already know about the
topic(s). Then as you read be active and take notes on a separate page or in the margins. These
notes may include: an outline of the concepts and key terms; A list of unknown words and their
definitions (that you’ve looked up); a concept map; annotations that summarize concepts and ideas;
questions you have about the material that you’d like to ask me, your peers, or the scientific
literature; questions you think could be on the exam (practice); a summary of the section you read.
After you’re done reading, briefly recount out loud to yourself, your dog, a friend, etc. what you just
read and/or learned and what you were left wondering. (Hopefully they’ll teach you something too,
in kind.)
Sakai There is a course site on Sakai (https://sakai.uri.edu/portal ) where we will post handouts,
announcements, assignments, readings, helpful tips, etc. Get used to checking there for updates, etc.
If you miss class, go there to see if you missed a handout. If there is something urgent to share, we
will email the whole class, so check URI email often.
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Studying To achieve a solid passing grade in this course an average student should plan to spend at
least three hours of work outside of class for every hour spent in class. Students who are
concerned about their performance in the course should contact us.
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