Evolutionary Anthropology BSc (Hons)

You will be introduced to the archaeology of human origins, evolutionary psychology and the principles of anatomy and human biology.

Core modules:

• The Origins of Humanity
• Principles of Archaeology
• Introduction to Bioanthropology
• Evolution of the Human Mind
• Issues in Evolutionary Anthropology

Optional modules include modules from Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the Life Sciences chosen to support a knowledge of the context of human evolution

• Climate of the Atmospheres and Oceans
• Introduction to Sedimentary Rocks and Fossils
• Evolution and Biodiversity
• Animal Biodiversity
• Ecology and the Global Environment

• Principles of Archaeology (ALGY101) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims

• To introduce students to the various theoretical tools, field methods and laboratory techniques that archaeologists use to study and interpret the past.

• To acquaint students with the types of data archaeologists collect, and how they analyse and interpret these data in order to reconstruct and understand past societies. ​

• To develop the student''s intellectual skills in terms of knowledge acquisition, research, written and visual communication as well as group work and reflexive evaluation (both self and peer evaluation). ​

Learning Outcomes Acquire essential subject-based knowledge.

​ Become familiar with scientific equipment, techniques and materials that are used and analysed by applied archaeological science.

​ Become aware of the relevance of the materials, methods and arguments presented in the module for the study of the past in diverse archaeological contexts.

​ Become familiar with the main schools of thought and intellectual debates involved in the study, and the critical analysis of specific archaeological subjects, research questions and case-studies.

​ Become aware of appropriate standards of professional conduct, including health and safety protocols.

• The Origins of Humanity (ALGY105) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims
  1. ​​​T o introduce the study of the early human record using a comparative interdisciplinary approach
  2. ​To provide a foundation for studying evolutionary anthropology in greater depth.

  3. ​To provide a basic understanding of the deep past for those interested in more recent archaeological and historical periods. ​

  Learning Outcomes

  The student will have gained a broad understanding of the social, biological and technological evolution of humans.

  ​The student will have developed a critical awareness of how early prehistory is constructed using interdisciplinary sources​

  ​The student will have developed skills in evaluating primary and secondary sources of information​ about human evolution.

• Introduction To Bioanthropology (ALGY119) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims

  To provide a firm background in the anatomy of Catarrhine primates with focus on humans and incorporating additional evidence from the great apes and old world monkeys. Specifically, the course will focus on identification of osteological elements and key muscles with an introduction to the osteology and anatomy of locomotor adaptations including bipedalism, terrestrial/arboreal quadrupedalism and brachiation.

  Learning Outcomes ​​Students will be able to identify the major bones and muscles of the human body and understand how these relate to other primates. 

  ​Students will have a good grasp of the major debates in the origin of human bipedalism

• Evolution of The Human Mind (ALGY140) Level 1 Credit level 7.5 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims

  The evolution of the human mind is examined from a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates the often overlooked archaeological record with that of the better known theories and data drawn from evolutionary psychology and neuroanatomy. The aim is to provide students with a broad overview of the disparate sources of evidence used to study the mind and its development, and to develop skills of critical analysis.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students will develop a critical awareness of how biological and behavioural data are used to construct models of the evolution of human cognition.

  ​ Students will learn to evaluate critically contemporary debates, making informed judgements about the relative strengths and weaknesses of particular arguments.

• issues In Evolutionary Anthropology (ALGY141) Level 1 Credit level 7.5 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims

  This module aims to introduce you to current issues in the still developing field of evolutionary anthropology, and provide a level of understanding that will enable you to choose pathways of progression in Years 2 and 3. The knowledge gained will be a foundation for students interested in Palaeolithic archaeology, the hominin fossil record and in applying the biological sciences to issues of behavioural evolution.

  Learning Outcomes

  You will develop a working knowledge of the methodology and conceptual approaches that define evolutionary anthropology. The format will encourage you to become independent researchers, moving away from secondary texts to primary source material.

  ​ You will also develop practical skills of group working and public speaking through participation in the seminars.

• Climate, Atmosphere and Oceans (ENVS111) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 80:20 Aims

  Introduce the climate system, the atmosphere and ocean:

  • Address how the climate system varies and how climate is controlled by radiative forcing;
  • How the structure of the atmosphere is determined and how the atmosphere circulates;
  • How the structure of the ocean is determined and how the ocean circulates;
  • How the atmosphere and ocean vary together.
  Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge and Understanding  

  a. Understand how physical processes operate within the climate system, the atmosphere and the ocean.

  b. Appreciate the complexity of the climate system, the effect of radiative forcing, the concept of feedbacks, how rotation affects the circulation; the differences between currents and waves.

  c. Gain awareness of the similarities and differences between the atmosphere and ocean.

    2. Intellectual Abilities  

  a. To be able to evaluate the relative importance of different physical processes in the climate system

  b. To develop critical skills in transferring insight gained from one problem to another problem, such as how the atmosphere circulates from one planet to another planet.

    3. Subject Based Practical Skills  

  a. Perform simple order of magnitude calculations and make inferences from the results.

  b. Understand the use of dimensions.

    4. General Transferable Skills  

  a. Application of numbers, involving order of magnitudes and dimensions.

  b. Time management.

  c. Problem solving.

  30. Teaching and Learning Strategies  

  Lectures and Coursework. Lectures address issues in the climate system from a process point of view. The coursework reinforces the lecture material: 6 coursework exercises require the students to simply explain how processes operate, make speculations as to the relative importance of different processes, and perform simple calculations and make inferences. The coursework is marked and returned in the following week that the work is handed in.

  31. Syllabus   1-24

  Lectures 1-6. Block 1: Climate System (6 lectures)

  Climate system of  the Earth, atmosphere and ocean.

  Climate records. Possible causes of climate variability.

  Heat transfer and radiation models.

  Radiation balance for other planets.  

  Feedbacks in the climate system.

  Lectures 7-13. Block 2. Atmosphere (7 lectures) 

   Composition and structure of the atmosphere.

  Clouds and water vapour.

  Understand motion on the rotating Earth.

  General circulation in the tropics and mid-latitudes.

  Weather systems, fronts and clouds.

  Atmospheric circulation for other planets.

  Seasonal cycle in the atmosphere.

  Lectures 14-21. Block 3. Oceans (8 lectures) 

  Properties of water and seawater.

  Observing the ocean   and inferring the circulation using water masses, time-dependent tracers,geostrophy and satellite measurements.

  Vertical structure of the ocean

  Seasonal cycle in the ocean.

  Formation of water masses.

  Deep circulation over the globe.

  Upper circulation over the globe:gyres, eddies and fronts.

  Waves and tides.

  Lectures 22-24. Block 4. Climate variability (3 lectures) 

  El Nino and Southern Oscillation

  North Atlantic Oscillation

  Climate states and past role of the ocean.

  Conclusions

    

• Introduction To Sedimentary Rocks and Fossils (ENVS118) Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 75:25 Aims
• The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks and to introduce the main groups of common fossil.
• The module aims to cover the basic language used to describe sediments and fossils and gives an introduction to a range of physical,chemical and biological concepts.
• The students are introduced to the economic significance of sediments and sedimentary rocks and how fossils provide information on geological time, evolutionary history and ancient environments.
Learning Outcomes   1. Knowledge and Understanding  

By the end of the module the students should:

a. be able to give an account of the basic characteristics of the main types of sedimentary rock;


b. be able to demonstrate that they understand the origin of some of the most important structures and textures;


c. have a clear understanding of the relationships between sedimentary processes...