ANTHRO 762 : Theorising Human Evolution

Arts

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Investigates contemporary evolutionary theory as it applies to humans and other primates. How has the extended evolutionary synthesis changed understandings of human and primate evolution? Topics include: plasticity, adaptation, modes of selection and niche construction.

Course Overview

This course gives students an opportunity to critically read and thoughtfully evaluate several of the most important issues in biological anthropology, paying particular attention to theoretical perspectives, the hypotheses generated from them and the various assumptions and evidence underpinnings debates, past and current.

While the course is a core paper for graduate students in Biological Anthropology, it covers evolutionary theory particularly in relation to society and culture.  That means we welcome and it is accessible to students in the other subdisciplines of anthropology as well as related fields such as Psychology and Biological Sciences.

As with most graduate courses this one is seminar based.  Everyone will attend and discuss the readings which they have done before the meeting.

Course Requirements

Restriction: ANTHRO 710, 726, 751, 752

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand and critically evaluate the most important theoretical perspectives and concepts relevant to our sub-discipline. Among these are macro- and micro-evolution, speciation, natural selection, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, political economy and life-history theory. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6)
  2. Recognise, analyse and evaluate strengths and weaknesses or limitations to various arguments and be able to suggest what more could usefully be done to resolve disagreements or uncertainties. (Capability 4, 5, 6 and 8)
  3. Engage and collaborate with fellow students to give and respond to constructive comment on both written and oral work through oral participation in the class and responding to draft comments in written work. (Capability 6, 7 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Annotated Outline 20% Individual Coursework
Take Home Test 25% Individual Coursework
Essay 30% Individual Coursework
Participation 25% Group & Individual Coursework

Exam Mode


There is no final exam for this course

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect two hours of seminar attendance, four hours of reading and thinking about the content and four hours of work on assignments preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including seminars to both complete and receive credit for components of the course.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

We have updated the assessment to make sure there is more variety.  Class participation is marked on the basis of student roles (discussion leader, question asker, key term definer) for each session which is a way of ensuring everyone gets an equal opportunity to participate and feels comfortable doing so.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 29/10/2024 08:53 a.m.