Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
Biological and Environmental Sciences
Learning Methods
Lecture
Off Site
Practical
Workshop
Module Offerings
4314NATSCI-JAN-CTY
Aims
This module is an introduction to the extent and pattern of human variation and its relationship with human ecology. The course will focus on human biological and cultural diversity and how these characteristics make humans such an adaptable species. Students will be introduced to the way in which variation is patterned in our species, concepts of adaptive vs. neutral variation, and the diverse mechanisms of human adaptation. The module will cover such current topics as human adaptability and resilience in the Anthropocene and the ethics and societal impact of the study of human diversity.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Describe the dichotomy between great human diversity and the close relationship between all living people
2.
Distinguish between adaptive and neutral variation and understand the main mechanisms underlying both
3.
Recognise and explain the ecological and cultural stressors that have shaped human adaptation
4.
Identify the main methods used in measuring and analysing human variation in Biological Anthropology
5.
Summarise key research in this field and explain it to others
6.
Understand the history of Anthropological study in the field of human variation, the costs of misconceptions, and the ethical implications of such research
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:How and why do humans vary? Human adaptation over different timescales. The history of human dispersals and their impact on variation and adaptation. Human uniqueness and the human ecological niche. Biological and cultural adaptation to different environmental stimuli (heat, cold, disease and diet). Human adaptation at the extremes and the limits of human adaptation. Are Humans still evolving? The effects of demographic, ecological and lifestyle change on humans in the Anthropocene. The history and ethics of the Anthropological study of human variation and the effects of misconceptions and folk taxonomies of human diversity.
Module Overview:
How and why do humans vary and are humans still evolving? This module focuses on human biological and cultural diversity and how these characteristics make humans such an adaptable species. It also considers the ethics and societal impact of the study of human diversity.
How and why do humans vary and are humans still evolving? This module focuses on human biological and cultural diversity and how these characteristics make humans such an adaptable species. It also considers the ethics and societal impact of the study of human diversity.
Additional Information:This course explores topics central to understanding human diversity, a major subject in the field of Biological Anthropology.