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This course is an introduction to the biological, behavioural, and cultural evolution of hominids from the earliest evidence to the emergence of the Neolithic revolution.
Where have we come from? How have we become what we are today? Throughout history, these questions have been asked by people from many different cultures. Many different answers have been given in the form of mythological and legendary stories of the origin of the world and human beings. Human curiosity about our own origin has continued to modern days. The advance of modern science and technology has enabled scientists to provide better and better answers to these questions. Since the 19th century, many ancient fossil remains have been discovered and examined by paleoanthropologists. Our close relatives, modern primates, have also become subjects of research by biological anthropologists. In the past twenty years, breakthroughs in genetic studies have opened new windows into the human past. As a result of the hard work of scholars in these fields, much progress has been made in understanding our remote past and the trajectories through which we have become what we are today. In this course, you are going to be introduced to the up-to-date knowledge about how we have become what we are today, both biologically and culturally, as well as how such knowledge has been produced in academic research.
After taking this course, students will be able to:a. Understand the basic principles and practices in paleoanthropology, physical anthropology and archaeologyb. Be familiar with the up-to-date knowledge of human evolutionc. Understand the assumptions, evidence, methods, arguments and theories involved in researches on human evolutiond. To develop cultural and bi-cultural competent based on understandings of the human past.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Zhifang Song
Domestic fee $761.00
International fee $3,188.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
This course will not be offered if fewer than 20 people apply to enrol.
For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .