Current Courses and Future Teaching Interests

 

 

Anthropology 301: Human Evolution and Variation

This course examines the theory, mechanisms and processes of biological evolution applied to problems of the primate and human fossil record and contemporary human populations.

Anthropology 404: Seminar in Human Evolutionary Physiology

This course provides an introduction to evolutionary physiology and life history theory and focuses primarily on biological variation within and between human populations in reference to ecological and evolutionary principles. Variation in growth, immune function, maturation, reproductive function, and senescence are reviewed.

Anthropology 406: Evolutionary Biology and Human Diseases

This course incorporates a review of various infectious diseases common to human populations into an evolutionary context. Foci include host-pathogen coevolution, the evolutionary history of various pathogens (specifically malaria and HIV), an introduction to the evolution of mammalian immune responses, the evolution of sex, and the evolution of virulence.

Anthropology 408: Hormones and Behavior

This course reviews the role of hormones in the evolution and expression of animal behavior. Emphasis is placed on behaviors associated with aggression, stress, mating, and parenting. Topics include: stress responses, sex and libido, testosterone and dominance, confidence, and aggression, the challenge hypothesis, field studies in birds, reptiles, and mammals, developmental arrest, and mating and parenting behaviors.

Anthropology 801: Survey of Physical Anthropology

This survey course reviews the biological principles essential to an understanding of human and non-human primate evolution. Historical and modern theories and discoveries central to biological anthropology are reviewed, including aspects of human biology, primatology, and paleontology.

Forethcoming: Advanced Seminar in Evolutionary and Life History Theories

This course will focus on current and classic literature in theoretical evolutionary biology. Evolutionary theory topics will include: speciation and species concepts, adaptation concepts, units of selection, natural selection, sexual selection, tempo and mode of evolution, morphological and molecular evolution. Life history theory topics will include: evolution of somatic and reproductive senescence, age and size at maturity, quality versus quantity of offspring, current versus future reproduction, and reproductive effort versus survivorship.