BIO103

In the past, humans were considered the only species to make tools, think rationally, use language and develop cultural innovations to deal with the environment. Today, we recognize that we share many biological and behavioral similarities with the other primates. This change in perspective invites many questions. What is it that makes us different from other primates? Why did the earliest ancestors of human diverge from the ancestors of modern chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas? How did we become the dominant life forms of the planet? To address these questions, this course offers a detailed introduction to the discipline of physical (biological) anthropology through a presentation of the human evolutionary record, a consideration of what living primates can tell us about the human condition, an exploration of the present diversity of modern humans and a discussion of the biocultural basis of human behavior.