Bi5120 Anthropology

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (fasci plus compl plus > 4). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Eva Drozdová, Ph.D.
Timetable
Wed 15:00–16:50 G2,02003
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 34 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course gives an overview of field of Anthropology. The student will be introduced to Physical Anthropology (Human evolution, variability and adaptability of Human populations) and Cultural anthropology (raise of the first civilisations, origin of agriculture and religion). At the end of this course, students should be able to understand the basics of Anthropology. This course is designated for students their main specialisations is not primarily anthropology, but are interested in this kind of science.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to Anthropology Anthropology. Characteristics. Division. Usage. Problems.
  • 2. History of Antropological Findings. Hominidisation, hominisation, sapientation. History of founds of skeletal remains. Approaches to human evolution. The most important anthropological findings at the territory of Czech Republic.
  • 3. Human Evolution I Ancestry of modern Hominids. Paleocene primates (genera: Purgatorius, Altiatlasius, Plesiadapis), climatic and geoelogical situation in Paleocene period. Eocene primates(families: Omomyidae and Adapidae). Oligocene primates (Parapithecoidea and Propliopithecoidea - co called Fayum primates). Miocene primates (Dryomorfs, Ramamorfs a Pliomorfs), climatic and geoelogical situation in Miocene.
  • 4. Human Evolution II Characteristics of subfamily Homininae. Characteristics of most important skeletal findings. Palaeoecological conditions. Characteristic anatomical and morphological traits of Australopithecines and Ardipithecies. Genera: A. afarensis, africanus, robustus, boisei, aethiopicus, Ardipithecus ramidus. Material culture. Nourishment of Hominids. Origin of Hominids. Were they human ancestors?
  • 5. Human Evolution III Genus Homo and its members. Homo habilis, Homo ergaster, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo sapiens neandethalensis, Homo sapiens sapiens. Most important skeletal founds, material culture and ecology. Human colonisation of America and Australia.
  • 6. Adaptive strategies and ekonomic systems Hunthers and gatherers, agriaculturalists and herdsmans, citizens.
  • 7. Human variability I - individual adaptations Causes of human variability and its displays. Fyziological adaptations, models and examples (apatation to couldnes, wet and dry heat, nourishment, high-altitude).
  • 8. Human variability II - evolutionary adaptations Evolutionary adaptation. Models and examples (hemoglobin variants, blood group polymorfisms, pigmentation).
  • 9. Individual developement of organism Growth and development of human organism. Prenatal development (changes in embryonal and fetal period). Postnatal development (changes in growth and development together with changes in psychic and mental rise). Adulthood.
  • 10. Culture What is culture? Etnocentrism and cultural relativism, universality of culture. Mechanisms of cultural change.
  • 11. Reproduction Kinship. Gender. Types of family, exogamy and endogamy, polygyny, polyandria.
  • 12. Religion and culture Origin, expression and reflexion of religiosity. Totemism, animism, social role of ritual.
  • 13. Contemporary humankind and its future Population growth. Children mortality. Main causes of mortality. Epidemic deseases and natural selection. Changes of environment and natural selection. Continuing evolution: evidences from prehistory.
Literature
  • HENKE, Winfried and Ian TATTERSALL. Handbook of Paleoanthropology. 1st ed. Berlin: Spronger Verlag, 2007, 2173 pp. ISBN 978-3-540-32474-4. info
  • SOUKUP, Václav. Dějiny antropologie : (encyklopedický přehled dějin fyzické antropologie, paleoantropologie, sociální a kulturní antropologie). Praha: Karolinum, 2004, 667 s. ISBN 8024603373. info
  • VANČATA, Václav and Jaroslav MALINA. Panoráma biologické a sociokulturní antropologie 13: Paleoantropologie - přehled fylogeneze člověka a jeho předků. Editor: Jaroslav Malina. Brno (CZ): Nadace Universitas Masarykiana v Brně, nakladatelství a vydavatelství Nauma v Brně, 2003, 212 pp. Modulové učební texty pro studenty antropologie. ISBN 80-210-3049-6. info
  • BENEŠ, Jan. Člověk (Human). 1st ed. Praha: Mladá Fronta, 1994, 342 pp. ISBN 80-204-0460-0. info
Assessment methods
The exam is composed from written test and oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2007 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Autumn 2010 - only for the accreditation, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
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