ANTHROPOLOGY 301: HUMAN FOSSILS AND EVOLUTION
SPRING 2008
Instructor: Dr. Karin E. Jaffe
Course Objectives: The purpose of this course is to examine who we are and where we came from. We are products of our history, and we can learn about our history from observations of hard evidence. In the last few thousand years, this hard evidence comes in the form of archaeological remains and written documents. Before that, the evidence comes from fossilized bones, tools and refuse left by our ancestors. This course will trace our history from its earliest beginnings as primitive primates through the more than 4 million year history of our hominin ancestors, ending with modern humans, Homo sapiens.
University Policies: There are important University poslices that you should be aware of, such as the add/drop policy, cheating and plagiarism plicy, grade appeal procedures, accommodations for students with disabilities, and the diversity vision statement. These and other policies can be found at: http://www.sonoma.edu/UAffairs/policies/. To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the disabled student services office at (707) 664-2677 (voice), or (707) 664-2958 (TDD for hearing and voice impaired). If you have a letter from their office indicating that you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations that you might need in this class. If you are a student with a disability and you think you may require assistance
evacuating in the event of a disaster, please inform me about the type of assistance you may require.
Please note: I will hold all unclaimed assignments in my office until the end of Fall semester, 2008, at which time they will be shredded.
Student Athletes: Please check your competition schedule at the beginning of the semester. If there is a conflict (or a potential conflict) between a sanctioned sports competition and class, you must notify the instructor, in person, during the first two weeks of class to make alternative arrangements. Later notifications may not be accomodated.
Email and phone number: karin.jaffe@sonoma.edu; (707) 664-2944
Office and Office Hours: Mondays 11:00-12:30pm, Wednesdays 10:00-11:30am, and by appointment in Stevenson 2054G
Lectures: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:00-9:50am in Stevenson 2065
Required Texts:
Available at the SSU bookstore:
Lewin, R. and Foley, R.A. (2004) Principles of Human Eovlution. 2nd edition. Blackwell Publishing.
Available as reader from Copy, Mail & More (8282 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 285-3400):
Readings in Course Reader (noted on syllabus)
What I expect of you:
• That you will be on time to class.
• That you will wait to pack up your books and notes until after I have finished lecturing.
• That you are respectful of other students in the class as well as the instructor.
• That you turn off your cell phone before lecture begins.
• That you will ask questions if you don't understand the material.
What you can expect of me:
• That I will be respectful of you and your time by starting and ending class on time.
• That I will create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.
• That I will return all assignments within a timely manner (usually within 1 week).
• That I will do my best to make this course interesting and informative!
Grade break-down:
Grades will be calculated out of the top score achieved rather than the total number of points possible.
90 – 100% A
80 – 89.9% B
70 – 79.9% C
60 – 69.9% D
Below 60% F
Final grades will be broken down into “+” and “–”.
The mean for the course and all assignments will be 75%. This means that if the actual mean for an assignment is less than 75%, I will adjust (i.e., curve) all scores to achieve a mean of 75%. If the mean for any assignment is higher than 75%, no adjustment will take place.
Components of this course:
Grades will be based on your performance in the following areas (300 points total):
1) Four laboratory assignments, worth 25 points each (100 points combined).
2)
Two exams, each worth 50 points (100 points combined).
3)
Essay abstract, worth 10 points.
4)
Term paper, worth 50 points.
5) Poster, worth 30 points.
6) Attendance and participation at poster session, worth 10 points.
EXPLANATION OF COURSE GRADING
Laboratory Assignments:
There are four laboratory assignments due throughout the course of the semester. The first assignment is a phylogency exercise intended to give you a better grasp of cladistics and phylogenetic analysis. The other three lab assignments are intended to allow you more time looking at and thinking about the fossil material we learn about in lectures. In these labs, you will be able to pick up, examine, and compare fossil material when possible. In some cases, fossil casts may not be available. You are to use the information you learn in lecture and the readings, as well as the material presented in the labs, to complete the laboratory assignments. You may choose to work on this assignment either singly or in groups, but each student must turn in an individual lab assignment.
Exams:
There will be two exams in this class, each worth 50 points (100 points total). All exams will consist of a variety of questions, including matching, true/false, multiple choice, fill-in, and/or short answer questions. The first exam is on March 19 and will cover material from January 28 to March 17. The second exam will be on May 14 and will cover material from April 2 to May 12. Please make note of all exam dates. There are no alternative exam times. If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero.
Abstract:
You are required to submit a 150-200-word abstract and at least five references on March 17 . The purpose of the abstract is to allow me to approve the topic of your term paper and guide you in the right direction before you begin writing. At a minimum, your abstract must include 1) the scientific name of the fossil (e.g., Australopithecus africanus ) and 2) the topic related to your fossil that you will discuss in your paper. In addition to the abstract, you must also turn in a reference list containing at least five references pertaining to your species and/or theme.
Research Paper:
The research paper is worth 50 points and must not exceed 3600 words (12 pages; excluding the abstract and references). Through your term paper you should show that you have become an expert on one hominin species and a specific topic related to that species. See the course website for specific information about the term paper.
Poster Session:
At the end of the semester (May 19), each student will present the results of his or her research on a chosen hominin species (i.e., the term paper) in a poster session. Please see the course website for specific information about the requirements for the poster.
Attendance at Poster Session:
Each student will receive 10 points for attending and participating in the poster session. Attendance is required to receive these points.
Regrades:
You may request a re-grade on any assignment, as long as the assignment was written in pen, but the request must be made in writing within 1 week of the assignment being handed back in class. Requests must be typed and include a detailed description of why a re-grade is warranted. The exception is a miscalculation of points. If you find that the instructor has added up your points incorrectly, please notify the instructor as soon as possible. Please be sure to hold on to all graded and returned assignments in case I make a mistake posting your scores. I will only be able to make corrections to the roster if you can produce the graded assignment.
Syllabus modifications:
The instructor reserves the right to modify anything in the syllabus during the course of the semester, with prior warning via an in-class and website announcements. Students are responsible for being apprised of any such modifications and for recording such modifications on their syllabi.
Lastly, please come see me if you are having difficulties with the course, or want to talk about human evolution, or anything else. That’s what I’m here for!
FINAL GRADES FOR SPRING 2008 are now available!!! You can check your grade so far in the class by clicking HERE. Please contact the instructor if you have questions about your grade.
Return to Dr. Jaffe's Homepage at the Department of Anthropology at Sonoma State University.