Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 1
Primatology & Human Evolution S. Cachel Anthropology 350 (070:350:01) Spring, 2018
This sylabus can be downloaded from the from the class Sakai site, accessible via the Rutgers Sakai portal (http://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal).
Course Venue: Monday, Wednesday, 2:15-3:35 P.M. Hickmann 130, Douglass Campus
Instructor: Susan Cachel
Office: Room 203C, Biological Sciences Building, Douglass Campus. Use the left staircase to the second floor; my office is in the complex of offices immediately to the right of the stairwell.
Office phone: 848-932-9270 848-932-9886 (departmental office) email: [email protected]
Office Hours (Spring Semester): Monday, 12-2 P.M., or by appointment
Required Texts: Shea, J.J. 2017. Stone Tools in Human Evolution. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Tuttle, R.H. 2014. Apes and Human Evolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
The textbooks are on order from the University Bookstore, Somerset Street and College Avenue, in downtown New Brunswick.
Pdf files of other class readings will be posted on the class Sakai site under “Resources.”
Course Description: This is a course in physical anthropology that deals with the history of primatology and paleoanthropology. It integrates knowledge of the anatomy and behavior of non-human primates with knowledge of human anatomy and behavior. It also uses comparative animal behavior to deal with general questions about how behavior evolves, as well as specific questions about the origins of intelligence and technology. The course also uses archaeological evidence and mammal and primate models to examine the origins of complex sociality.
Course Objectives: To read and to analyze critically technical papers that are formally published in major journals in physical anthropology; to discuss and critique major topics in animal behavior (intelligence and tool behavior), using readings, classroom presentations, and videos; to debate the controversial topics of intelligence and tool behavior with fellow students; to compare and contrast the anatomy of selected primate species, using textbook material and electronic resources; to understand the origins of anatomical differences in terms of evolutionary processes; to access and utilize major electronic resources to examine dental and skeletal Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 2 anatomy; to understand the origins of behavioral and social differences in terms of evolutionary processes
Course Requirements: The final grade is determined by a short paper, a final exam, three comparative anatomy exercises, and two class discussions on tool behavior and intelligence. Credit is distributed as follows: the short paper (a precís of journal articles) accounts for 20% of the final grade, and will take the place of a mid-term exam. The diet and dentition exercise accounts for 10%, the craniofacial and special senses exercise accounts for 10%, and the locomotion exercise accounts for 10% of the final grade (for a total of 30% of the final grade). Detailed requirements for the short paper and the three exercises immediately follow this course schedule, topics, and readings. The tool behavior and intelligence class discussions each account for 10% (for a total of 20% of the final grade), and the final exam accounts for 30% of the final grade. The final exam will consist of short essays. Papers and exercises that are turned in late will be lowered in grade.
Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes. If you miss one or two classes, you must use the Rutgers University absence reporting website to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An email is then automatically sent to me. The URL for this website is https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/. In cases where students miss classes for periods longer than a week, this website will automatically direct them to consult a Dean of Students for assistance, and will help to verify the circumstances of their absence. Note: Health, accident, and family issues are valid reasons for missing class; vacations, etc. are not.
COURSE SCHEDULE, TOPICS, & READINGS
January 17 Introductory
January 22 The Primate Order Tuttle, pp. 1-11
January 24 How Are Primates Defined? Tuttle, pp. 15-59
Rutgers Geology Museum 50th Annual Open House Saturday, January 27th, 2018 Scott Hall, Room 123, College Avenue Campus
11:30 A.M. “Empire of the Apes: The Recent Discovery of an Ape and Human Ancestor in Africa” Dr. Isaiah Nengo Turkana Basin Institute and Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University
January 29 History of Primatology—Antiquity to the 19th Century Cachel, Chapter 1 (pdf file under “Resources”) Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 3
January 31 History of Primatology—19th Century to W.W. II
February 5 History of Primatology—W.W. II to 1965; 1965 to the Rise of Sociobiology and Evolutionary Ecology Cachel, Chapter 2
February 7 Anatomical Primatology—Survey & Methods; Major Researchers & Evolutionary Conclusions
February 12 Video: “The Last Great Ape.” Chimpocentrism is a word coined by the primatologist Ben Beck to refer to research that is inordinately focused on chimpanzees when complex animal behavior is being studied. Beck argued that many animal species demonstrate a defree of intelligence that rivals or exceeds that of chimpanzees. This video deals with Pan paniscus, the bonobo, the lesser known species of chimpanzee. Researchers studying the bonobo have racheted up their chimpocentrism. As you watch the video, focus on the expressions of chimpocentrism. How does the video contrast the sociality and temperament of common chimpanzees and bonobos? How is human sociality and temperament presented?
February 14 Anatomical Primatology—Dentition and Diet Tuttle, pp. 261-303
February 19 Anatomical Primatology—The Postcranium and Locomotion Tuttle, pp. 189-224
February 21 Anatomical Primatology—The Skull and Special Senses Tuttle, pp. 225-260
February 26 Primates in Captivity—Zoo and Colony Studies; Primates in Captivity— Behavioral Experimentation Cachel, chapter 6
February 28 Growth and Development; Diversity in Growth Rates among Living Primates; Growth and Development in Fossil Organisms; How Plastic are Growth Rates, and How is This Affected by Captivity?
March 5 Medical Primatology Precís of journal articles due!—20% of the final grade
March 7 Primate Speciations & Extinctions: A Paleontological Perspective Cachel, Chapter 4
Week of March 12 NO CLASSES—SPRING RECESS
Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 4
March 19 What Can Non-Human Primate Anatomy, Physiology, and Development Reveal About Human Evolution? Australopithecine Paleobiology Tuttle, pp. 126-185
March 21 Tool Behavior; Intelligence Tool Behavior material posted on class Sakai site (list of purported animal tool behaviors & paper by Alcock). Follow the directions given on the list, and read the Alcock paper for the discussion in the next class. Tuttle, pp. 331-354; Shea, pp. 1-19
March 26 Tool Behavior Discussion (in class)—10% of the final grade Shea, pp. 39-55
March 28 Video: “The Bearded Capuchin Monkeys of Fazenda Boa Vista” This non-commercial research film, produced by Elisabeta Visalberghi and her colleagues, pays particular attention to the stone-tool behavior of these animals, and includes field experiments examining this tool behavior.
April 2 Social Cognition and Natural History Intelligence; Logistical Mobility Cachel, Chapter 8; Shea, pp. 56-83
April 4 Video: Inside Animal Minds. 1. Who’s the Smartest?
April 9 Video: Inside Animal Minds. 2. Bird Genius
April 11 NO CLASS (AAPA MEETINGS)
April 16 Intelligence Discussion (in class)—10%of the final grade Exercise on dentition and diet due!—10% of the final grade Tuttle, pp. 355-394
April 18 General Survey of Non-Human Primate Evolution; Language and Symbolic Artifacts Cachel, Chapter 3, Shea, pp. 84-109
April 23 Taphonomy and Interpretation of the Paleontological and Archaeological Records Exercise on craniofacial anatomy and special senses due!—10% of the final grade
April 25 The Origins of Complex Sociality Tuttle, pp. 397-506
April 30 Modern Human Origns as Documented by Fossils and Archaeology; Occasional Stone-Tool Use in Non-Human Primates Cachel, Chapter 9, Shea, pp. 179-193 Exercise on postcranial anatomy and locomotion due!—10% of the final grade Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 5
FINAL EXAM Tuesday, May 8th, 12-3 P.M. (probably in this classroom)—30%of the final grade Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 6
Primatology & Human Evolution Spring, 2018 Anthropology 350 (070:350:01) S. Cachel
Precís of Articles
Examine recent issues (i.e., issues appearing within the last 5 years) of major journals that routinely publish papers on human evolution. These journals are The Journal of Human Evolution, The American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and PaleoAnthropology. The online versions of The Journal of Human Evolution and The American Journal of Physical Anthropology can be accessed through the Rutgers University Iris computer catalog. You must be logged into the Rutgers system to do this. If you are not on campus, you need to bring up the Rutgers Library Website, and then remotely log into the system. You will need either your library barcode and PIN number or yours Rutgers Web ID and password to log in remotely. Once in the system, type the periodical’s name into the Iris search function. PaleoAnthropology is a free electronic journal maintained online by the University of Pennsylvania. It is the official journal of The PaleoAnthropology Society. You can access it online at the following Website: http://www.paleoanthro.org/ Then click on the journal link. Browse through the recent issues of these journals. Search for articles that use non- human primates to address ideas in human evolution, or that claim that a particular primate taxon has implications for human evolution. Identify three interesting articles, which may be in different issues or journals. Read and concisely summarize each article. For each article, identify the problem explored, the methodology used in studying the problem, and the conclusions that are reached. Why was the problem studied? If the problem explored has been dealt with before, how does the author(s) justify another treatment? What impact do the conclusions have for paleoanthropology? Does the author(s) make a reasonable case for applying the conclusions to human evolution? The precís should begin with detailed information about the papers that you are summarizing—i.e., full paper title, year of publication, journal title, and page numbers. If you quote material, or use other references, an additional page of “References Cited” should appear at the end. The text of the precís (not counting citations or introductory material, should be around 5 pages in length, double-spaced. It is due on March 5th. Grades will be lowered for any papers not submitted on time. This paper accounts for 20% of the final grade.
Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 7
Three examples of scientific referencing. These examples show how book, edited volume, and journal article citations should appear in the paper. The words in brackets identify the three major types of citation, but would not appear in your paper or list of references.
1. First published in 1967, the Napier and Napier classification of major primate locomotor categories was later modified to include knuckle-walking (Napier and Napier, 1985). [book]
2. Energetic analysis of nut-cracking behavior by wild chimpanzees in the Tai Forest (Ivory Coast) demonstrates that the benefits of this behavior outweigh the costs by a 9:1 ratio (Gunther and Boesch, 1993). [article in an edited volume]
3. "The location of large primates on the neocortex curve where small relative changes in brain size are associated with large relative changes in isocortex size...may explain the multiple facets and rapid rate of human evolution." (Finlay and Darlington, 1995:1583) [direct quotation from an article in a journal. Note that the page number must be given for a direct quatation.]
How these references should appear in the list of references cited:
References Cited
Finlay, B.L. and Darlington, R.B. 1995. Linked regularities in the development and evolution
of mammalian brains. Science 268:1578-1584.
Gunther, M.M. and Boesch, C. 1993. "Energetic cost of nut-cracking behaviour in wild
chimpanzees." Pp. 109-129 in H. Preuschoft and D.J. Chivers (eds.), Hands of Primates.
Wien: Springer-Verlag.
Napier, J.R. and Napier, P.H. 1985. The Natural History of the Primates. Cambridge, MA:
The M.I.T. Press.
Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 8
Primatology & Human Evolution S. Cachel Anthropology 350 (070:350:01) Spring, 2018
The Three Comparative Primatology Exercises
Three primatology exercises each account for 10% of the final grade (for a total of 30% of the final grade). These three exercises are on diet and dentition, craniofacial anatomy and the special senses, and postcranial anatomy and locomotion.
For each of these exercises, you will use the Apes and Human Evolution text by Tuttle and additional online resources to draw the anatomy of two different species of living primate. For the exercise on dental morphology and diet, the MorphoBrowser database can useful. It is maintained by the University of Helsinki Biocenter. Access this via the following Website: http://morphobrowser.biocenter.helsinki.fi/. Organisms are grouped taxonomically, so look for the primate section. Currently, only humans and a species of lemur are in the database. For the exercise on craniofacial anatomy and special senses, the DigiMorph database of high resolution CT scans will be very useful. It is subsidized by the NSF, and is accessed via the following Website: http://digimorph.org. Again, organisms are grouped taxonomically. Many living and some fossil primates are in tnis database. For the exercise on postcranial anatomy and locomotion, access the eSkeletons Project Website, maintained by the University of Texas at Austin, and subsidized by the NSF: http://www.eskeletons.org. Humans and 11 species of non- human primates are represented here. The Website allows for the simultaneous comparison of bones from two species, and different views of these bones. This Website is also useful for a comparison of dental and cranial anatomy.
Why drawing? Ever since the 19th century, it has been known that passively looking at an anatomical specimen does not result in knowledge. The act of drawing an anatomical specimen fixes details, spatial location, and proportions into a student’s mind—this technique is tried and true. This is not an art class, so don’t worry about the artistic quality of your drawings. However, the drawings must be clear and detailed enough to illustrate major anatomical features. Include a scale with your drawings, so that body size can be known. Using the textbook, class readings, and the online database All the World’s Primates (http://alltheworldsprimates.org) , read about the diet, activity-patterns and special senses, and locomotion of the species that you draw. Write a short (1-2 page) summary contrasting your selected species. Each completed exercise will consist of 2 drawings (one for each species) and the short summary. You will draw teeth and describe diets for the dentition and diet exercise; draw the skull and describe senses and behavior for the craniofacial anatomy and special senses exercise; and draw postcranial anatomy and describe locomotion for the third exercise.
The exercise on dentition and diet is due on April 16th; the exercise on craniofacial anatomy and special senses is due on April 23rd; and the exercise on postcranial anatomy and locomotion is due on April 30th.
Anthropology 350 syllabus p. 9