Download Barr - GWU Anthropology

ANTH 6413
CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN EVOLUTION
Instructor: W. Andrew Barr
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: (202) 994-3213
Office Location: SEH Building, Room # 6685
Office Hours: Tues, 12-2 or by appt
Semester: Spring 2017
Class Time: M, W 3:45PM – 5:00PM
Class Location: 1957 E Street, Room 316
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the role of environmental change in evolution, particularly human evolution. The
course first briefly introduces the geologic and climatic history of life on earth. We then spend some time to
understand the methods used to reconstruct this history. In the second half of the semester, we will focus
on the impacts of changing environments on human evolution. We will explore in detail the
paleoenvironmental reconstructions of important sites, and the importance of habitat change (mediated by
climate change) on human evolution.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this course, you should:
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Understand the basics of the Earth’s climate system.
Understand how climate has changed over the Cenozoic.
Understand the methods used to reconstruct past environments.
Understand the theoretical basis for climate impacts on evolution.
Understand the paleoenvironments of major sites related to human evolution.
COURSE MECHANICS
The course meets twice per week with a mixture of lecture and discussion of the week’s readings. Readings
will be made available on Blackboard, and you are expected to come prepared to class, having read the
readings for that day. Participation in the class is crucial, and comprises a signification portion of your final
grade. There will be two exams over the course of the semester, a midterm exam and a non-cumulative
final exam. You will also be expected to write a research paper on a topic of your choosing related to the
class.
Research Paper Guidelines: The research paper should be 10 double spaced pages long with 12 pt font
and 1” margins. References and images should appear at the end of the paper and do not count towards the
10 page length requirement. You must cite at least 20 primary literature references. Citations should be in
a consistent format (use (Author, Date), see format of syllabus citations for examples.) The class
presentation should be 10 minutes long and will include a powerpoint presentation. The presentation
should introduce and explain the problem/topic addressed in your research paper in a way that is engaging
for the rest of the class.
BLACKBOARD
Once you are registered for this course, you will automatically have access to the Blackboard site associated
with it. Go to https://blackboard.gwu.edu/ and sign in using your net ID and password. We will use
Blackboard to communicate announcements, distribute class readings, and provide a way for you to check
your grades as the course progresses.
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COURSE READINGS
There is no required textbook for the class. Readings will be assigned and provided to you on Blackboard.
EVALUATION
Your grade will be calculated based on exams, one class presentation, an accompanying literature review
paper, and your overall level of participation in class discussion. If you have any concerns about your grade
on a particular assignment, please contact the instructor as soon as possible, rather than waiting until the
end of the semester.
Exam I
Exam II
Research Paper
Class Presentation
Participation
25%
25%
25%
10%
15%
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
You are responsible for upholding the GW Code of Academic Integrity. Please review the code here
http://studentconduct.gwu.edu/code-academic-integrity. You are expected to do your own work. Any
infractions will be dealt with by reporting the violation to the Office of Academic Integrity.
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
Disability Support Services (DSS). If you need disability accommodations, you must register with
Disability Support Services (DSS) at http://disabilitysupport.gwu.edu/registration. If you have questions
about disability accommodations, contact DSS at 202-994-8250 or [email protected] or visit them in person in
Rome Hall, Suite 102.
GWU Mental Health Services. GWU Mental Health Services offers 24/7 assistance and referral to address
students’ personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include: crisis and
emergency mental health consultations; and confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and
small group), and referrals. You can reach Mental Health Services at 202-994-5300. For additional
information, please refer to https://healthcenter.gwu.edu/mental-health
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
You should attend every class session unless you have a legitimate excused absence. Late work will only be
accepted, and make-up exams will only be offered if there is a valid (e.g., medical, religious) justification.
See below for a summary of the university policy on religious holidays:
1. Students should notify instructors during the first week of the semester of their intention to be
absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance;
2. Instructors should extend to these students the courtesy of absence without penalty on such
occasions, including permission to make up examinations
3. Instructors who intend to observe a religious holiday should arrange at the beginning of the
semester to reschedule missed classes or to make other provisions for their course-related
activities.
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COURSE SCHEDULE – READINGS WILL BE ADDED TO THIS LIST – CHECK ON BLACKBOARD
Topic
Readings (check Blackboard)
18-Jan
Introduction to the Course
23-Jan
Intro to Geological Timescale, Stratigraphy
(Peppe and Deino, 2013; Dunsworth, 2015)
25-Jan
Methods: Geochronology
(Deino, 2013)
30-Jan
Broad Survey of Cenozoic Climate
1-Feb
Earth’s Climate System
6-Feb
Methods: Ocean Oxygen Isotope Record
8-Feb
(Loubere, 2012)
Paleocene / Eocene Climate Early Primate Evolution
(Gould, 2001 Paleocene/Eocene) (Gingerich, 2006) (McInerney and Wing, 2011)
13-Feb
Miocene Climate and Ape Evolution
(Gould, 2001 Oligocene/Miocene)(Andrews, 1992)(McNulty, 2010)
15-Feb
Methods: Soil and Enamel Isotopes
(Koch, 1998)
20-Feb
NO CLASS - PRESIDENTS DAY
NO CLASS - PRESIDENTS DAY
22-Feb
Modern African geography, climate and veg patterns
(Bond, 2008)
27-Feb
Methods: Ecomorphology and Community Analysis
(Reed, 1998; Barr, 2015)
1-Mar
**Exam I
6-Mar
Pliocene Hominin Evolution: Before Homo
(Levin, 2015)
8-Mar
Discussion: Savanna hypothesis / Origin of bipedalism
(Bender et al., 2012)
13-Mar
NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
15-Mar
NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
NO CLASS SPRING BREAK
20-Mar
Site Focus: Aramis
(White et al., 2009; WoldeGabriel et al., 2009; Cerling et al., 2010)
22-Mar
Site Focus: Hadar
(Reed, 2008)
27-Mar
Site Focus: Omo-Turkana Basin
(Bobe et al., 2002; Bobe and Behrensmeyer, 2004)
29-Mar
Discussion: Turnover Pulse Hypothesis
(Vrba, 1988; Demenocal, 1995) Paper Topics Due
3-Apr
Variability Selection
(Potts, 2013)
5-Apr
Methods: Scale, and Integrating Multiple Proxies
(Kingston, 2007)
10-Apr
Pleistocene Hominin Evolution: Homo
12-Apr
Ice Ages
17-Apr
Megafaunal Extinctions
(Broeker and Denton, 1990)(Koch and Barnosky, 2006)
19-Apr
NO CLASS - AAPA Meeting
NO CLASS - AAPA Meeting
24-Apr
Climate Change in the Future
(Stager, 2012; Moritz and Agudo, 2013)
26-Apr
Student Presentations
Research Papers Due
1-May
Student Presentations
3-May
Student Presentations
TBA
**Final Exam
References
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Andrews P. 1992. Evolution and environment in the Hominoidea. Nature 360:641–646.
Barr WA. 2015. Paleoenvironments of the Shungura Formation (Plio-Pleistocene: Ethiopia) based on ecomorphology of the bovid astragalus. Journal of Human
Evolution 88:97–107.
Bender R, Tobias PV, and Bender N. 2012. The savannah hypotheses: origin, reception and impact on paleoanthropology. History and philosophy of the life
sciences 34:147–184.
Bobe R, Behrensmeyer A, and Chapmam R. 2002. Faunal change, environmental variability and late Pliocene hominin evolution. Journal of Human Evolution
42:475–497.
Bobe R, and Behrensmeyer AK. 2004. The expansion of grassland ecosystems in Africa in relation to mammalian evolution and the origin of the genus Homo.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 207:399–420.
Bond WJ. 2008. What Limits Trees in C₄ Grasslands and Savannas? Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 39:641–659.
Broeker W, and Denton G. 1990. What drives glacial cycles? Scientific American 262:49–56.
Cerling TE, Levin NE, Quade J, Wynn JG, Fox DL, Kingston JD, Klein RG, and Brown FH. 2010. Comment on the Paleoenvironment of Ardipithecus ramidus.
Science 328:1105–d.
Deino AL. 2013. Geochronology. In: Begun DR, editor. A Companion to Paleoanthropology. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. p 244–264. Available from:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118332344.ch13/summary
Demenocal PB. 1995. Plio-Pleistocene African climate. Science 270:53.
Dunsworth H. 2015. How to become a primate fossil. Nature Education Knowledge 6:1.
Gingerich PD. 2006. Environment and evolution through the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 21:246–253.
Gould S. 2001. The Book of Life: An Illustrated History of the Evolution of Life on Earth. Second Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Kingston JD. 2007. Shifting adaptive landscapes: Progress and challenges in reconstructing early hominid environments. American Journal of Physical
Anthropology 134:20–58.
Koch PL. 1998. Isotopic reconstruction of past continental environments. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 26:573–613.
Koch PL, and Barnosky AD. 2006. Late Quaternary Extinctions: State of the Debate. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 37:215–250.
Levin NE. 2015. Environment and Climate of Early Human Evolution. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 43:405–429.
Loubere P. 2012. The Global Climate System. Nature Education Knowledge 3:24.
McInerney FA, and Wing SL. 2011. The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum: A Perturbation of Carbon Cycle, Climate, and Biosphere with Implications for the
Future. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 39:489–516.
McNulty KP. 2010. Apes and Tricksters: The Evolution and Diversification of Humans’ Closest Relatives. Evo Edu Outreach 3:322–332.
Moritz C, and Agudo R. 2013. The Future of Species Under Climate Change: Resilience or Decline? Science 341:504–508.
Peppe D, and Deino A. 2013. Dating Rocks and Fossils using Geologic Methods. Nature Education Knowledge 4:1.
Potts R. 2013. Hominin evolution in settings of strong environmental variability. Quaternary Science Reviews 73:1–13.
Reed KE. 1998. Using Large Mammal Communities to Examine Ecological and Taxonomic Structure and Predict Vegetation in Extant and Extinct Assemblages.
Paleobiology 24:384–408.
Reed KE. 2008. Paleoecological patterns at the Hadar hominin site, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia. Journal of Human Evolution 54:743–768.
Stager C. 2012. What happens AFTER global warming? Nature Education Knowledge 3:7.
Vrba ES. 1988. Late Pliocene climatic events and hominid evolution. In: Grine FE, editor. Evolutionary History of the “Robust” Australopithecines. New York:
Aldine. p 405–426.
White TD, Ambrose SH, Suwa G, Su DF, DeGusta D, Bernor RL, Boisserie J-R, Brunet M, Delson E, Frost S, et al. 2009. Macrovertebrate Paleontology and the
Pliocene Habitat of Ardipithecus ramidus. Science 326:67–93.
WoldeGabriel G, Ambrose SH, Barboni D, Bonnefille R, Bremond L, Currie B, DeGusta D, Hart WK, Murray AM, Renne PR, et al. 2009. The Geological, Isotopic,
Botanical, Invertebrate, and Lower Vertebrate Surroundings of Ardipithecus ramidus. Science 326:65–655.
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