Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology (ANTH 222): Syllabus

Spring Semester 2016 Lectures: TuTh 9:30-10:45; JMZ 0105

Laboratories: Mondays and Wednesdays (see below for times)

Instructor:Dr. Barnet Pavao-ZuckermanOffice: 0109 Woods Hall (WDS)Office Hours: Wednesdays 10-11:30AM, or by appointmentEmail: bpavao@umd.edu

Graduate Teaching Assistants: Mr. Fabio Correa (Monday Labs)Office: WDS 0124COffice Hours: Mondays, 10 - 11 AM, 1:30PM - 2PM, and 4 - 5 PM, or by appointmentEmail: fabio5@umd.edu

Mr. Kevin Gibbons (Wednesday Labs)Office: Taliaferro B0104Office Hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 1-2PM, or by appointment Email: ksgibbons@gmail.com

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant:Ms. Hope LoiselleOffice: Taliaferro B0104Office Hours: Wednesdays 1-2PMEmail: hgloiselle@gmail.com

Course Page: The course webpage can be found at www.elms.umd.edu. All course-related materials, including laboratory assignments, supplemental readings, and quizzes can be found on CANVAS. You must use your directory ID and password to access this page. Laboratory Sections:

Section 0101: Mondays, 8-10 AM, WDS 0124CSection 0102: Mondays, 11AM-1PM, WDS 0124CSection 0103: Mondays, 2-4 PM, WDS 0124CSection 0104: Wednesdays, 8-10 AM, WDS 0124C Section 0105: Wednesdays, 11AM-1PM, WDS 0124C Section 0105: Wednesdays, 2-4 PM, WDS 0124C

Course Description: ANTH 222, an introductory course in Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology, is an opportunity for students to learn basic concepts and methods for the interdisciplinary study of:

1. the evolution of human physiology and human behavior;2. the relationship between hominids and non-hominid primates; and

3. the relationships between human populations (past and present) and their biophysical environment.

Students will explore the evolution of the human species and the nature of contemporary human variation. We begin with the principles of evolutionary theory, genetics, and ecology to establish a framework for the study of human evolutionary biology. Fossil evidence for human evolution will then be considered, including comparisons with non-human primate ecology and evolution, to reconstruct prehistoric lifeways. Finally, discussion turns to modern human variation and diversity, paying particular attention how biocultural adaptations to environmental stressors like climate, nutrition, disease, and culture have shaped our species - and continue to do so.

Course Learning Outcomes:By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

Articulate basic principles of evolution and human genetics, including a history of the ideas leading to our current scientific understanding of these principles and how they are applied in contemporary society;

Identify similarities and differences between humans and non-human primate species, including the biological basis for cooperation and competition;

Demonstrate an understanding of the major trends in hominin evolution, including the fossil and molecular evidence for the origins of anatomically modern humans;

Evaluate influence of genetics, ecology, and sociocultural factors on biological variation, diversity, and adaptation in non-human primates and modern human populations; and

Apply biocultural and ecological perspectives to explicate human reproductive biology, growth and development, disease patterns, diet/foodways, and livelihoods.

Important Note: In this course, you will have the opportunity to examine and handle real skeletal remains of modern (donated) humans and a variety of non-human animals. Photographs of human remains will also be shown in lecture to illustrate the evolution of key features in our hominid and human ancestors. If you have religious objections to viewing or handling the skeletal remains of humans or non-human animals, please let Dr. Pavao know immediately.

Textbook and Readings: The required text is Evolution and Prehistory: The Human Challenge, by Haviland et al. (10th edition). Additional readings are posted to CANVAS (see modules).

Course Requirements and Grading: The requirements for the course, and their respective percentage values are below, followed by descriptions of each assignment:

Exam 1 15%Exam 2 15%Final Exam 20%Weekly Learning Assessments 20%Laboratory Assignments 25%Laboratory Participation 5%Total 100%

Final letter grades will be determined using the following criteria:

A+ : 97-100% B+ : 87-89.9% C+ : 77-79.9% D+: 67-69.9% F: 59.9% A : 93-96.9% B : 83-86.9% C : 73-76.9% D : 63-66.9%A- : 90-92.9% B- : 80-82.9% C- : 70-72.9% D- : 60-62.9%

As your exams and assignments are graded, your scores will be posted on CANVAS. If you believe there has been an error in the recording of your grade, please tell your TA or Dr. Pavao immediately.

Exams: There are two mid-term exams and one final exam in this course. The second exam and final exam are cumulative, but with greater emphasis on material covered since the previous exam. Exams may include multiple choice, identification, short answer, and/or long answer questions. Exams will cover material from lectures, labs, readings, guest lectures (if relevant), and films.

The final exam is scheduled for Friday, May 13, from 8-10AM. Everyone is required to take the final exam at the date and time scheduled.

Weekly Learning Assessments: Weekly Learning Assessments (on-line quizzes) serve two purposes: 1. Assess your retention of course material each week in preparation for exams, and 2. Ensure your preparedness and mastery of the materials you read in preparation for the following week’s lab. These quizzes are entirely open note and open book and consist of a mix of multiple choice, matching, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions. You will have 45 minutes to complete the 15 questions once you begin the quiz. The assessments will open on CANVAS Thursday at 2PM and close Sunday at 10PM. Your quiz will be scored immediately and the correct answers will be posted after the close of the quiz.

The weekly learning assessment quizzes are worth a combined total of 20% of your final grade. Fourteen learning assessments will be given throughout the semester, but your lowest weekly assessment score will be dropped—only 13 assessments will be used in the calculation of your final grade. There are NO make-up opportunities for learning check point quizzes, barring serious illness, or other dire emergencies.

Laboratory Sections: Laboratories are held every week, except the first week of classes. The laboratories are conducted by the teaching assistants. Before you come to your laboratory section, you should read all associated files on the CANVAS site. The labs provide opportunities for hands-on exploration of concepts discussed in lecture, as well as to broaden your understanding of human evolution and ecology.

Laboratory Assignments A graded exercise is assigned for each laboratory. Many of the assignments will require completion at home after the end of the laboratory session. Please upload your assignments to our course website on CANVAS—paper copies will not be accepted. There are limited types of acceptable file forms (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, others may be specified in an

assignment), and they must be openable on both Mac and PC platforms. If Dr. Pavao or your teaching assistant cannot open a submitted file, you will receive a “0” for the assignment. It is not our job to hunt down apps or software to open your assignment. It is your responsibility to turn in legible and accessible assignments. Please use good grammar and spelling on all assignments. Points will be docked for misspellings and poor grammar.

You must attend laboratory in order for your laboratory assignments to be accepted. If you are absent for your laboratory, including arriving 15 or more minutes late to your laboratory (see below), you will receive a 0 for that assignment. Laboratory assignments (found both under “assignments” and “modules”) will not be accepted more than one week after the due date stated on the assignment submission page. Any student who does not turn in an assignment by the time specified will lose points. Two points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. Therefore, if you turn in a 10 point assignment 1 day late your maximum grade is 8 points, a maximum grade of 6 points if turned in 2 days late, and so forth. If you are ill or are away, CANVAS is still available for turning in assignments. If you have a medical emergency, notify me ASAP!! I will need documentation, but you will receive an extension. If you are away, it is advisable to submit your assignments early (preferably before you leave) to avoid problems that can arise with internet availability, etc. while traveling. Note that while you can turn in assignments early, they will be graded with those of your classmates following the indicated due date. Assignment answer keys will be posted to the course website on CANVAS.

Laboratory Participation: Participation in lab is worth 5% of your final grade and will be assessed primarily by your teaching assistant based on your attendance, verbal contributions to discussions, your respectful treatment of lab materials and your classmates, and your general attitude and engagement in laboratories and discussions. Attendance will be taken in laboratory sessions, and will be counted toward your Laboratory Participation grade. Attendance will be taken in the first 15 minutes of lab. If you arrive 15 or more minutes late to lab, you will be admitted to the laboratory, but you will be marked absent and your laboratory assignment will not be accepted (you will receive a 0). You can still participate in the laboratory in order to learn the material for exams.

General Attendance PoliciesThe University’s Attendance policies are viewable here: http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1540

Because of the large size of the class, attendance will not be taken during lecture periods. However, do not expect to do well in the course if you consistently miss lectures. The more classes you miss, the lower your final course grade will be. Failure to attend, or coming late to, lecture or lab does not excuse you from adhering to any changes in the course schedule.

Attendance will be taken in laboratory sessions, and will be counted toward your Laboratory Participation grade. If you do not attend laboratory, your Laboratory Assignment will not be accepted and you will receive a 0 for that assignment. Attendance will be taken in the first 15 minutes of lab. If you are 15 or more minutes late to lab, you will be marked as absent and you will receive a 0 for your laboratory assignment. You can still participate in the laboratory in order to learn the material for exams.

Your learning, and that of others, depends on your presence AND participation in class discussions and activities during both lecture and laboratory sessions. However, medical excuses, religious observance, and family death (need evidence like an obituary) are justifiable excuses for missing class, and thus not participating (see below). Most other excuses (flat tires, rain, traffic) are unfortunate, but will not be accepted as excuses for missing class. However, if anything really unusual happens that causes you to miss class (sharknado, asteroid, etc.), it’s worth bringing up—I like a good story.

Medical Excuses. All midterms and the final exam are major scheduled grading events. As such, if you must miss one due to illness or have a prolonged absence due to illness (multiple consecutive absences due to the same illness), you are required to provide Dr. Pavao with written documentation of the illness from the University Health Center or from your own health care provider. The University Health Center or health care provider shall verify dates of treatment and indicate the dates the student was unable to meet academic responsibilities. You (or a guardian if you are unable) must email or call Dr. Pavao or your lab instructor PRIOR to class/lab session to inform them that you will not be in attendance due to injury or serious illness, and thus will miss an assignment deadline or exam. For more information, see: http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1584/s/1540

Religious Observance. The University of Maryland recognizes many students have religious observances they must attend to during the school term. When the nature of the observance prevents the student from being present during the class period, students are allowed an excused absence so that they may participate. However, in keeping with university policy, you must inform your instructor (in writing) of all religious observance absences by the end of the second week of classes. Please refer to the Online Catalog Policy on Religious Observance for more specific information about UMD policy (http://president.umd.edu/policies/docs/iii_510a.pdf). Please note that accommodations are NOT made for travel to and from the religious observance.

University Emergency Closing In the event that the University is closed for an emergency or extended period of time because of inclement weather and campus emergencies, Dr. Pavao will communicate to you via CANVAS or email to make schedule adjustments, including rescheduling of assignment due dates. Official closures and delays are announced on the campus website http://www.umd.edu. The snow phone line is 301-405- SNOW, as well as local radio and TV stations.

Student Athletes. Please refer to the Maryland Student-Athlete Code of Conduct regarding expected class absences due to official intercollegiate competitions.

Essentially, "Properly inform instructors (provide authorized team travel letter), by the 10th day of fall and/or spring semesters, of expected class absences due to travel to official intercollegiate competitions."

Students with Disabilities UMD guarantees appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. If you require accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. If you need further clarification, the link to DSS is: http://faculty.umd.edu/teach/specialneeds.html

We will make every effort to accommodate students who are registered with the Disability Support Service (DSS) Office and who provide me with a University of Maryland DSS Accommodation form which has been updated for the current semester. Only written DSS documentation of the accommodation will be considered. This form must be presented to me before the end of the second week of classes. We are not able to accommodate students who are not registered with DSS or who provide us with documentation which has not been reviewed and approved by UMD’s DSS Office after the second week of classes.

Plagiarism and Academic IntegrityThe University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. It is also your responsibility to learn how to properly attribute ideas to their sources. The Purdue Online Writing Lab has excellent resources to help you avoid inadvertent plagiarism: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/930/01/ All violations of the code of academic integrity will be referred to the Student Honor Council, and the standard sanction for a violation is severe. If you are found in violation you will not only fail the class, but the fact that you cheated will be marked on your transcript for one year (and you must petition to have it removed):

Please note that the standard sanction for an undergraduate student shall be a grade of “XF” in the course. The normal sanction for a graduate student shall be dismissal (suspension or expulsion) from the University. Faculty/instructors may recommend a lesser or more severe sanction depending on the student’s needs and circumstances of the incident. Generally, acts involving advance planning, falsification of papers, conspiring with others, or some actual or potential harm to other students will merit a severe sanction, i.e. suspension or expulsion, even for a first offense. An attempt to commit an act shall be punished to the same extent as the consummated act.

The Student Honor Council proposed and the University Senate approved an Honor Pledge. The University of Maryland Honor Pledge reads:

I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination.

This Pledge statement should be written and signed on the front cover of all papers, projects, or other academic assignments submitted for evaluation in this course. Students who fail to write and sign the Pledge will be asked to confer with the instructor. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.

Classroom Conduct Students are expected to treat each other with respect. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Students who are unable to demonstrate civility with one another or me will be subject to referral to the Office of Student Conduct or to the University Campus Police. You are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct.

I know that life is full of unexpected events, and that, as a result, you will be late for class probably at least once in the semester. If this happens, try to be as non-distracting as you possibly can when you walk in and get settled—have your notebook and pen already out, and take the first empty seat you see. I won’t mind if you’re late once (I will probably be late once, too), but repeated lateness will be noticed. The professor reserves the right to heckle repeated latecomers (at her discretion).

The uncertainty of life also often leads to sleep deprivation. This deprivation is occasionally unintentionally, and unfortunately, remedied by a 75-minute nap in a dark room to the white noise of some academic droning on about million-year-old bones. Try your best to stay awake, and I will try my best to keep your mind alert. I won’t send the TA’s to wake you up, unless you snore, but I can’t guarantee we won’t all be laughing at you as you drool on your desk.

I was a teaching assistant for an introductory anthropology class in graduate school, and the professor required us to sit in the front of the room (facing the class) and watch the students for bad behavior. We were instructed to take away cell phones and newspapers (back when students read such things), stop people from talking, and wake up sleepers. It was a miserable experience for everyone. This is not the kind of atmosphere I wish to cultivate in class; however, I fully expect that we will all behave like respectful adults. So, there are a few things that will guarantee a nasty look or, perhaps, public humiliation from the professor: 1) cell phones: ringing, talking on them, texting, or fiddling with them in any way other than to turn them off, 2) talking when you are not speaking to the whole class, 3) using your computer for anything other than note-taking (see below).

Use of Technology

In Lecture: Did you know that use of laptops for notetaking is less effective than using good old-fashioned paper and ink? Did you also know that trying to “multitask” on your laptop while taking notes is also linked to reduced retention and test scores both for the laptop user *and* those around the laptop notetaker? This is called the “Cone of Distraction”. While I am not (yet) going to go as far as to ban laptops in lecture, I strongly, strongly urge you to forgo technology and take notes in lecture by hand. If you want to read more about technology and learning, you can access these two articles on the CANVAS (ELMS) course site:

Mueller, Pam A. and Daniel M. Oppenheimer2014 The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science pp. 1-10.

Sana, Faria, Tina Weston and Nicholas J. Cepeda2013 Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers. Computers & Education 62:24-31.

If you decide that you’re ok with not doing as well in the class due to inferior note-taking then, by all means, use that laptop. However, if you are found to be using a laptop or tablet for any reason other than taking notes (thus creating a “Zone of Distraction”), you will lose the privilege of bringing this technology to class. All other devices, including cell phones, gaming devises, digital music players, etc, are absolutely prohibited in class. You will be asked to leave immediately if we see these devices, regardless of whether or not you are using them at that moment. Cell phones should be silent, and placed out of sight in a backpack, bag, or purse during class.

In Lab: You are very welcome (and encouraged), however, to bring your laptops/tablets to your laboratory section so that you can complete your laboratory assignments in digital format, and so that you can refer to the laboratory readings and other materials. As in lecture, however, if you are found to be using a laptop or tablet for any other reason other than taking notes, you will lose the privilege of bringing this technology to class. And, all other devices, including cell phones, gaming devises, digital music players, etc, are absolutely prohibited in the laboratory. You will be asked to leave immediately if we see these devices, regardless of whether or not you are using them at that moment. Cell phones should be silent, and placed out of sight in a backpack, bag, or purse.

Online & Email Communication SkillsStudent email “fails” are a favorite topic of conversation among faculty (especially at happy hour). Treat any email you send as a formal letter. In all on-line and email communication, choose your words and images carefully. Be respectful, and be careful about your use of humor—it doesn’t always translate via email. Use proper punctuation. Do not abbreviate. Open and close emails with proper greetings, especially the first time you email someone. Make a good first impression. As a general rule, address faculty as either “Dr.” or “Prof.” Dr. is used for faculty who have a Ph.D., while Prof. is used for all faculty, regardless of their degree status. Avoid addressing any college professor as “Mr.” “Ms.”, “Miss” or “Mrs.” unless they told you that is how they like to be addressed (we worked pretty hard to earn our special titles, so we like to use them). Most teaching assistants (but there are exceptions) do not yet have PhD’s, so it is usually safe to address them as “Mr.” or “Ms.” Using “Miss” and “Mrs.” can be (even unintentionally) perceived as condescending and/or presumptive, so I recommend avoiding them unless you know that the addressee prefers one or the other. If you want to be sure how to properly address someone, ask them.

Course Evaluation Dr. Pavao takes course evaluations very seriously. Each year she revises her syllabus, readings, course assignments, and exams based on your feedback, especially your written comments, which are usually far more helpful than the raw scores. You will all be asked

to provide your evaluation of the course during the end-of-semester evaluation period. Please go directly to the website to complete your evaluation (www.courseevalum.umd.edu). Your participation in the evaluation of courses through CourseEvalUM is a responsibility you hold as a student member of our academic community. Your feedback is confidential and important to the improvement of teaching and learning at the University as well as to the tenure and promotion process. CourseEvalUM will be open for you to complete your evaluations starting about two weeks prior to the last day of the term before exams begin. If you complete your evaluations, you can access online evaluation reports for the thousands of courses for which 70% or more students submitted their evaluations. You can access results at www.CourseEvalUM.umd.edu, the same link you use to submit your evaluations.

Serious Note: If you are struggling in the course, talk to Dr. Pavao ASAP. Do not wait until the end of the semester for help. By then, it is too late. If you do not do as well as you would like on the first midterm, come to Dr. Pavao’s office hours (or make an appointment) so we can figure out how you can improve your performance in the course. Further, if you are struggling in any aspect of your college career, please find help as soon as possible, and I would be happy to be your first point of contact. As a student enrolled at a University, you have many resources available to you for free. The Counseling Center in the Shoemaker Building provides free and confidential services that include individual therapy, walk-in appointments for urgent situations, and referrals to off-campus community providers. Appointments can be made by calling (301) 314-7651 or by visiting the Shoemaker Building. College is exciting and world-expanding, but it also tends to correspond with the most psychological challenging period in our adult lives. You are not alone, there is help, and we care about both your academic and personal successes. And Finally, Five Best Ways to Get on Dr. Pavao’s Good Side:

1) Learn more than what is covered on the exams. 2) Show a genuine enthusiasm about [at least some of] the course material.3) Ask a good question in class every once in a while.4) Come up to me after class and ask me more about something that interested you.5) Laugh at my jokes, even when they’re terrible (and they usually are).

Subject to Change StatementInformation contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. Any changes to this syllabus will be announced during lecture, lab, and/or on the CANVAS site. Failure to attend class does not excuse students from adhering to these changes.

Lecture Schedule

Date Topic Readings (Chapter:Pages)

T 1/26 Welcome, Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology 1R 1/28 History of Evolutionary Thought 2:24-30T 2/2 Genetics and Inheritance 2:30-39R 2/4 Microevolution and Evolutionary Forces 2:40-51T 2/9 Epigenetics Cloud (2010)R 2/11 Life HistoriesT 2/16 Human Variation and Adaptation 12:298- 307R 2/18 Principles of Ecology Reitz (2008)T 2/23 FIRST EXAMR 2/25 Our Primate Relatives 3T 3/1 Primate Behavior 4R 3/3 Paleoanthropology and Archaeology 5T 3/8 Evolution of Mammals and Primates 6:130-139R 3/10 cont’dSPRING BREAK March 14-18T 3/22 Early Hominins 6:140-159R 3/24 cont’d 6:159-163T 3/29 Early Homo 7:164-183R 3/31 cont’dT 4/5 SECOND EXAM R 4/7 Neanderthals and Archaic H. sapiens 7:183-195T 4/12 cont’dR 4/14 Homo sapiens sapiens 8T 4/19 cont’dR 4/21 Transition to Agriculture 9T 4/26 Urbanization and the Origins of States 10R 4/28 Human Population EcologyT 5/3 Disease, Diet, & Fertility 12: 308-325R 5/5 Modern Human Diversity 11T 5/10 Catch-up and Review

F 5/13 FINAL EXAM, 8-10AM

FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 13, 8:00-10:00 AM

Laboratory Schedule

Lab Date Topic

1 Feb 1&3 Anthropometry and Statistics2 Feb 8&10 Population Genetics 3 Feb 15&17 Adaptation4 Feb 22&24 Introduction to Skeletal Biology5 Feb 29&Mar 2 Primate Behavior 6 Mar 7&9 Mammalian and Primate Anatomy7 Mar 21&23 Paleoanthropology and Archaeology 8 Mar 28&30 Meet our Ancestors, Part 1 9 Apr 4&6 Bipedalism10 Apr 11&13 Meet our Ancestors, Part 211 Apr 18&20 Diet and Disease12 Apr 25&27 Human Demography13 May 2&4 Race, Sex, & Gender

This syllabus is subject to change. Any modifications will be announced during lecture or laboratory sections. Failure to attend class does not absolve you from adhering to the changes.