This course will introduce you to the study of human evolution – Paleoanthropology -- a branch of anthropology which seeks to understand human uniqueness by studying the human past using scientific methods. The story of our past can be found in clues from a wide range of sources -- everything from details of DNA to evocative murals in Ice Age caves. This is why the scientific quest for human origins requires the curiosity of a philosopher coupled with the skills of a skeptical detective.

We will begin with an introduction to evolutionary principles. While people often think of themselves as very different from other animals, you will discover that we can learn a lot about ourselves by studying the genes, bodies and behavior of our closest living relatives, other primates, and apply this knowledge to help interpret ancient evidence.

During the second half of the class we will dig into the past, to look at fossils and archaeological sites for the evidence revealing when and where humans first began to behave like "odd animals." When did our ancestors begin to walk upright? Where were tools and art invented? What do we know about the origins of language and the development of the wide range of social and cultural practices that we consider so "human" today?

Throughout the semester we will examine examples of how researchers think about "evidence" and how scientific theories about human evolution have been built, piece by piece, from a variety of sources. We will look at examples of contrasting interpretations of scientific evidence for the human past, and study why some arguments have stood the tests of time, and are more convincing than others.

Sitting on the brink of a new millennium, our goal is to help you appreciate how a knowledge of the human past is relevant to your own life, whether as a student at IU today, or as a future parent, medical patient, consumer or IT professional.

Course Work and Grades:

Lectures will introduce students to the major questions we ask about human evolution, and the various methods scientists can use to search for answers. Lectures will complement the textbook readings, but not duplicate them. We will also spend time during class periods discussing how to think critically about interesting questions that relate to our evolutionary heritage. Lectures meet in Jordan Hall 124, which is well-equipped for the numerous slide, video, and computer presentations that the instructor uses regularly.

Weekly Discussion Sections will give you the opportunity to get to know other students in the class, analyze videos and discuss class concepts in a small group, and also to get "hands on" experience studying important fossils, artifacts, and other types of evidence.

Sections are a required part of the course, and students will receive 15% course credit for participation in sections. While we understand that student schedules often change during the first week of the semester, it is important to attend at least a temporary discussion section during the first week to start earning class credits. If you miss a section meeting during the semester, we will allow you to make up credit for that section only if you have a written excuse (e.g. medical) acceptable to your AI.

times	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
10:10-11:00		section 1194	section 1198
11:15-!2:05		Honors section 1196	section 1199	section 1201
12:20-1:10		section 1195
1:25-2:15		section 1197
2:30-3:20	lecture JH 124		lecture JH 124
3:35-4:25

Course Work and Grades

Readings will be assigned from one main textbook , and articles from several popular journals, which will be placed on ELECTRONIC RESERVES for the class.

Many of the assigned articles will come from from a single special issue of Scientific American, listed below, and you will have the OPTION to purchase the entire issue from the bookstore.

Haviland et al 2004 Evolution and Prehistory. The Human Challenge 7th edition.



A New Look at Human Evolution. Scientific American Special Edition 2003.

OnCourse Website

Study Materials, Assignments and Quizzes will be available on the class website, accessible from OneStart, Oncourse, or directly from Professor Sept's "Origins" web page.

you will be able to log into our class website if you are registered for the class. These WWW materials will include lecture outlines and announcements, copies of class handouts, links to useful internet resources and research tools, study guides for tests, and assignments. AI's may also post study materials on their own web pages.

Grades:

Your grades will be based on an evaluation of the quality of your work on severaql exams, wwritten assginments, and classroom exercises. Your grades for each will be posted in the Gradebook of O-ncourse. Your final grades will be calculated using a 4.0 grade scale (e.g. an "A" gets a 4.0, a "B+" gets a 3.3, a "C" gets a 1.7, etc), weighted as folows:

• 15% discussion section work, assigned in class each week during semester
• 15% Exam 1 (Monday Oct 4)
  15% Project 1 (due in discussion section, week of Oct 11)
• 15% Exam 2 (Monday November 8)
• 15% Project 2 (due in discussion section, week of Nov 29)
• 25% Final exam: Monday., December 13: 5-7pm (no early or late exams)
  
  

Project Assignments
Writing assignments will give you the opportunity to apply concepts you are learning in A105 to a variety of situations outside our classroom. It is important to learn how to read critically, and to reason and write clearly while you are in college, and your assignments will give you practice in doing so. They also give you the chance to demonstrate your understanding of the course material without the stress of exams. We will ask you to carefully cite the sources of information and opinions that you write about. And while we encourage you to work and study in groups, we expect you to write your essays independently of other students, in your own words. Similarly, please do not copy chunks of text from books (even in quotes). Put the ideas into your own words, and then cite the sources of information you used.

You will have two project topics (~5 typed pages each). Each assignment will focus on a major theme covered in the textbook and lectures, but will require you to do some outside research as well. Each project will be worth 15% of your grade. The assignments will be posted on the class WWW site. Plan ahead! Each project has a different due date – but they are due at the beginning of lecture that day (turn in to your AI).

Project Topic & Due Dates
1) People and Primates Due in your discussion section the week of Oct 11.
2) Interpreting Evidence of the Past Due in your discussion section the week of Nov 29.

If you’re not experienced writing papers at IU, we recommend you seek help from Writing Tutorial Services! http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/home.html 855-6738

Exams
We will have two in-class exams and one final, cumulative exam. The exam questions will have a variety of formats.

If you must miss a scheduled in-class exam, please contact your AI BEFORE the exam is given; if you have what Professor Sept considers to be a valid medical or personal excuse, we will be willing to give you a makeup exam. However, if you miss the final exam without a valid emergency excuse, you cannot pass the class.

Academic Honesty
Students will only receive credit for original work; plagiarism or cheating on exams or assignments will be grounds for failing the course, and will be formally reported as academic misconduct to the Dean of Students. Please consult the Student Code for more information about your rights and responsibilities as a student at IU. Makeup exams will not be given without a valid (medical or emergency) excuse. Late assignments will lose credit unless you contact us before it is due and receive a late-waiver in consultation with your AI or Professor Sept.