Physical Anthropology WB-BI-ANG-14
1. What is Anthropology
Definitions of Anthropology and historical view; How Anthropology is understood in the World; Anthropology in Poland; Physical Anthropology and its division; Anthropological studies after the First World War, during and after the Second World War.
2. Research methods in Anthropology (1)
Anthropometry and anthropological instruments; Craniometry and cranioscopy, osteometry, cephalometry and cephaloscopy, somatometry and somatoscopy; Measurements and descriptive methods in osteology; Dating procedures of skeletal remains; Interpretation of fossils.
3. Research methods in Anthropology (2)
Methods applied in living populations; New linguistic, genetic and archeological methods in anthropology
4. Phylogeny
Methods applied in human evolution: geology, paleontology, embryology, archaeology; History of Man and Primates; Morphological characteristics of Primates: locomotion categories, dental anatomy; Living Primates, distribution, common relations, reproduction, speciation, ethology, procultural behaviors.
5. Anthropogeny (1)
Origin and evolution of Homo; Causes of evolution: climatic changes and their consequences; The spread of early Man and the rise of Homo sapiens.
6. Anthropogeny (2)
Evolution of human erect body posture (bipedality); Covering the energy needs; Brain evolution; Early tool behaviors; Secondary tool processing; Biological and cultural evolution; Ethnogenesis; Sources of human variability.
7. Human population variability
Variation in human body build and Primates; Sexual dimorphism; Genetic determination of biological and psychological properties; Symmetry and asymmetry of body build; Body composition and posture; Postural faults in youths; Physiological and biochemical variation; Biological rhythms.
8. Ontogeny (1)
Rules in ontogeny development; Developmental mechanisms: growth, development, differentiation, maturation, catch-up phenomenon, neurohormonal feedback.
9. Ontogeny (2)
Developmental adjustments in ontogeny: existing now and expecting in the future; The evaluation of biological status – individuals and populations (biodemography); Changes in body proportions with age; Health, nutritional status; Measurements – norms – evaluation.
10. Species and population
Status and dynamic of human populations: structure, vital statistics (fertility and mortality), migrations; Biological status of a population; Population genetics; Natural selection, mutations, genetics of continuously distributed (quantitative) traits; Reproductive fitness.
11. Contemporary human differentiation (1)
Historical and current classification of humans: race, morphological group, ethnic group; Conceptions of inter-species variation; Race origin.
12. Contemporary human differentiation (2)
Geographic and population classification of human species; Ethnicity and race; Methods in population studies.
13. Ethnic structure in the World
Anthropological differentiation: Europe, North and South Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia and Oceania.
14. Human Ecology
Anthropology and Human Ecology; Culture as non-biological (extraorganic) form of adaptation; Material and non-material (spiritual) culture; Socio-cultural adaptations; Society and its economic development; Tradition and modernity in the way of environmental adaptation; Anthropocenosis and urbicenosis; Origin and evolution of human settlements; City – evolution and differentiation; Contemporary division of rural and urban settlements related to economics; Urbanization and industrialization.
15. Ergonomic anthropology
Status of working men interacting with techniques; The ergonomic dimensions of the body; Parameters of working places; Ergonomics and aging; Ergonomics for disable people.
Teaching methods: Lectures with PowerPoint presentations
Method of assessment: test based on the lectures
Credits in tutorials are precondition for final exam.
(in Polish) E-Learning
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
Subject level
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge:
BI1_WO1 - Student understands phenomena and processes in physical anthropology
BI1_WO5 - Student knows the main problems in different disciplines in physical anthropology and knows their relations with other ones in natural sciences
BI1_W07 – Student possesses knowledge about safety procedures and rules in hygiene at work.
Skills:
BI1_U01 Student knows how to use modern technique and instruments in physical anthropology
BI1_U02 – Student understands literature in Polish in physical anthropology; reads and understands uncomplicated scientific texts in English
BI1_U03 – Student is able to use existing sources of information, including electronic ones.
BI1_U08 - Student knows how to prepare oral presentation based on research work using different verbal instruments in physical anthropology
BI1_U11 – Student is able to learn under supervision.
Social competencies:
BI1_K02 Student is able to cooperate and work within a group, playing different roles.
BI1_K04 Student correctly identifies and makes relevant decisions in relation to his/her profession
BI1_K05 Student understands needs to be acquainted with all necessary publications in physical anthropology
ECTS [1 ECTS=30 hours]
Participation in lectures: 30 hours
Preparation for exam: 30 hours
Total: 60 hours
ECTS: 60/30=2
Assessment criteria
Knowledge (BI1_W01, 05, 07)
Grade 2 (fail): Student does not understand phenomena and processes in physical anthropology, does not know the main problems in different disciplines of physical anthropology, in basic terminology and methodological applications, does not know rules in safety procedures and hygiene at work.
Grade 3 (sufficient): Student understands in limited degree phenomena and processes in physical anthropology, knows very little about main problems in different disciplines of physical anthropology, in basic biological terminology and methodological applications, knows, in limited degree, rules in safety procedures and hygiene at work.
Grade 4 (good): Student understands phenomena and processes in physical anthropology, knows about main problems in different disciplines of physical anthropology, basic biological terminology and methodological applications, knows rules in safety procedures and hygiene at work.
Grade 5 (excellent): Student understands very well phenomena and processes in physical anthropology, has excellent knowledge about main problems in different disciplines of physical anthropology, basic biological terminology and methodological applications, knows perfectly rules in safety procedures and hygiene at work.
Skills (BI1_U01, 02, 03, 08, 11)
Grade 2 (fail): Student does not know how to use modern techniques and instruments in physical anthropology, does not understand Polish literature and simple scientific English texts, is not able: to use available sources of information, to prepare oral presentation using different instruments, and to learn under supervision
Grade 3 (sufficient): Student understands in limited degree how to use modern techniques and instruments in physical anthropology, understands in limited degree Polish literature and simple scientific English texts, is able in limited degree: to use available sources of information, to prepare oral presentation using different instruments, and to learn under supervision
Grade 4 (good): Student understands how to use modern techniques and instruments in physical anthropology, understands Polish literature and simple scientific English texts, is able: to use available sources of information, to prepare oral presentation using different instruments, and to learn under supervision
Grade 5 (excellent): Student understands very well how to use modern techniques and instruments in physical anthropology, perfectly understands Polish literature and simple scientific English texts, perfectly knows: how to use available sources of information, how to prepare oral presentation using different instruments, and how to learn under supervision
Social competencies (BI1_K02,04,05)
Grade 2 (fail): Student is not able to cooperate and work within a group, does not identify and make relevant decision in relation to a future profession, does not understand necessity of being acquainted with publications in physical anthropology.
Grade 3 (sufficient): Student is partly able to cooperate and work within a group, in limited degree identifies and makes relevant decision in relation to a future profession, understands in limited degree necessity of being acquainted with publications in physical anthropology.
Grade 4 (good): Student is able to cooperate and work within a group, identifies and makes relevant decision in relation to a future profession, understands necessity of being acquainted with publications in physical anthropology.
Grade 5 (excellent): Student is excellent in cooperation and in his/her work within a group, identifies and makes relevant decision in relation to a future profession, understands very well necessity of being acquainted with publications in physical anthropology.
Final exam (test); about 120 questions, each one has three answers, only one is correct
The final assessment:
60% - 2
61-80% - 3
81-90% - 4
91-100% - 5
Bibliography
Basic literature:
1. Jurmain R., Kilgore L., Travathan W., Ciochon R L., 2013-14. Introduction to Physical Anthropology, 14th Edition. Cengage Learning, Boston;
2. Larsen C S, 2012. Essentials of Physical Anthropology, 2-nd edition. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York;
3. Lasker G.W., 1976. Physical Anthropology (second edition). Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York;
4. Malinowski A., Strzałko J (red.), 1985. Antropologia, PWN, Warszawa-Poznań;
5. Malinowski A., Wolański N., 1988. Metody Badań w Biologii Człowieka. Wybór Metod Antropologicznych. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa;
6. Moran E.F., 1982. Human Adaptability. An Introduction to Ecological Anthropology. Westview Press, Boulder;
7. Slice D.E., 2005. Modern Morphometrics in Physical Anthropology (Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects). Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York.
Supplementary reading:
8. Ayala F.J., 2009. Dar Karola Darwina dla Nauki i Religii. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa;
9. Futuyma D.J., 2008. Ewolucja. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa;
10. Gibson G.A., 2010. Wszystko Przez Geny. Wydawnictwo Sonia Draga, Katowice;
11. Little P., 2005. Zapisane w Genach. Świat Książki, Warszawa.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: