The course unit (UC) of AB is within the group of courses in the field of Biology ministered at the Department of Biology. The UC has as general objectives: a)To identify the main stages of the history of AB as a specific scientific field; b)To frame human as a biological species, recognizing them as members of the Primates; c)To recognize the different types of data in human evolution, analyzing their potential / limitations; d)To recognize the characteristics that distinguish hominins from other hominoids; e)To describe the main stages of the evolutionary history of hominins, framing them in the respective paleo-environments; f)To identify the most relevant morphological and behavioral characteristics of the main groups of hominins; g)To understand the evolutionary context of the appearance of main morphological characteristics and life histories of hominins; h)To understand the variability in human populations and its implications, particularly in terms of health/illness dichotomy.
Theoretical sessions.
1. Introduction to Biological Anthropology (Biological Anthropology as a science)
2. Man as Primate (distinctive characteristics and classification)
3. Data in Human Evolution (The fossil record: the biomolecular record)
4. The Beginnings of Humankind (distinctive characteristics of the early hominins, the genus Australopithecus and related forms)
5. The earliest Homo (criteria for inclusion in the genus Homo; fossil record of early Homo, the earliest lithic industries)
6. The evolution of the genus Homo (Homo ergaster, the first hominins outside Africa, Homo neanderthalensis)
7. Origin and Evolution of the Modern Man (Models for the origin of anatomically modern humans)
8. The variability of current human populations (standards of human diversity, its causes and implications; notions of Human Ecology).
Practice sessions.
1. Primatology;
2. Introduction to the Biology of the skeleton;
3. Somatology;
4. Variation in the human body; 5. Ecology of Human populations.
Theoretical sessions consist of lectures, in which critical thinking of students and their constant intervention is stimulated. Replicas of fossil hominins and several videos are constantly used, to facilitate the understanding of the various morphological characteristics of fossil groups that are referred to throughout the program. The material is carefully selected and includes updated images for the fossils and fossil sites, among others. In practical sessions students handle human osteological material and put into practice various anthropometric techniques.
CUNHA, E. (2010). Como nos tornámos humanos, 154pp. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra.
FRAGOSO, M. I. C. J. & M. F. S. VIEIRA, 2005. Cinantropometria. Curso Prático. Faculdade de Motricidade Humana Edições. Cruz Quebrada. XII + 160p.
JURMAIN, R., L. KILGONE, TREVATHAN, W., & H. NELSON, 2004. Essentials of Physical Anthropology, 5ª Ed. Wadsworth, USA.
LEWIN, R., 2005. Human Evolution: an illustrated introduction, 5ª ed. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
LIMA, M., 2006. Antropologia Biológica: Programa, conteúdos e métodos de ensino. Relatório apresentado para Provas de Acesso à Categoria de Professora Associada, Universidade dos Açores.
PITÉ, M. T. & T. AVELAR, 1996. Ecologia das populações e das comunidades: Uma abordagem evolutiva do estudo da biodiversidade. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Seleção de “Links” Internet:
www.indiana.edu/~primate/primates.html
www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/recent.html
www.anth.ucsb.edu/projects/human/
www.becominghuman.org
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