2140 Course Readings 2006-7

Readings

Scroll down for Term 2. Click links for Term 1.

Term 2

TERM 1

Sept 19  -  Rice text - table of contents, preface, and Ch 1

Sept 26 -  Rice text - review Ch 1 again thoroughly and read these articles online:

Loaded Guns, Barrels of Rum, and a Silk Ribbon

Climate change forged first civilizations

Return to the African Burial Ground

Website for Death of the Iceman (just explore; see the gallery of artefacts, especially)

Neanderthals' 'last rock refuge'

Keep in mind what you know about archaeological methods from Ch 1, and think carefully about these case studies above. Make brief notes and bring them to tutorial on Sept 27, answering these questions for each case study:

    - what kinds of archaeological remains were studied?

    - how did archaeologists study them? (can you guess -- what dating techniques or other methods of analysis did they use?)

    - what is the broader significance of the archaeological work?

    - who is interested in the results, and why?

Also think about this: Can you see any differences in the way that articles are written for archaeology textbooks, archaeology magazines, newspapers, and TV websites?

- Reading for Oct 3

Rice Ch 2, Principles of Biological Evolution

AND

REQUIRED: Explore this site:  http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0_0/evo_01 

Full table of contents for the site: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0_0/evo_toc_01

Specifically, look at these sections:  1: An Introduction to Evolution, 3: Mechanisms: the processes of Evolution (with subsections from Descent with Modification to Coevolution), and 5: Speciation (with subsections from Defining a Species to Cospeciation)

We'll look at other sections next week.

Optional (some of these need Flash):

   General resource on evolution: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/

    Nice genetics tutorial: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/health/images/genes/genome.htm

    Try these games: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/games/evolution/ ,   

     http://biologyinmotion.com/evol/index.html

Reading for Oct 10

Review Rice Ch 2, Principles of Biological Evolution, and read Rice pp 70-83.

AND

REQUIRED: Explore this site:  http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0_0/evo_01 

Full table of contents for the site: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/_0_0/evo_toc_01

Specifically, for this week, look at these sections: 2: The history of life: looking at the patterns, 4: Microevolution , 6: Macroevolution, and 7: The big issues

NOTE: Building a solid understanding of the basics of evolutionary theory will help you as we proceed to study primate and human evolution.

OPTIONAL:

Explore the Tree of Life project: http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html

Explore the Burgess Shale: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/shale/index.html, http://park.org/Canada/Museum/burgessshale/tablen.html

Mass extinction events: http://park.org/Canada/Museum/extinction/homepg.html

Rise and fall of the dinosaurs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/dinosaurs/chronology/

Timeline of evolution: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/biology/variationandinheritance/3evolutionrev8.shtml

Explore the different kinds of mammals: http://www.auburn.edu/academic/classes/zy/0301/Topic3e/Topic3e.html

Neat fossil: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0423_020425_firstmammal.html

Reading for Oct 17

- more on Macroevolution

Review Rice Ch 3 - pp 70-83

AND read:

The evolution of life on Earth, by Stephen Jay Gould. http://www.brembs.net/gould.html

Also see the optional readings for Oct 10.

Reading for Oct 24

- the Evolution and Behaviour of Primates

REQUIRED

Read Rice Ch 3 pp 83-103 (Primate Evolution and Primate Behaviour)

AND

Four sections of this online tutorial on Primate Behaviour: http://anthro.palomar.edu/behavior/default.htm

Specifically, read: Background, Social Structure, Adaptations of Group Living, Communication

OPTIONAL:

Explore the links here: http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/aboutp/behavior/index.html

Great Apes Survival Project: http://www.unep.org/grasp/

Reading for Oct 31

Primate Evolution and Behaviour

Required:

Review p 90-103 of Rice book, and the online readings for Oct 24.

Read Chapter 6 (jumping ahead) on Modern Primates. pp 174-208.

Optional but worthwhile links on primates -- terrific for viewing pictures and exploring the diversity of primates:

http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Primates&contgroup=Eutheria

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Primates.html  see the tabs for Information, Pictures, Specimens, Sounds, Classification

Optional fun Hallowe'en reading:

Zombies! http://www.archaeology.org/online/interviews/zombies/index.html  (April Fool's article)

Paul Sledzik on vampires: http://users.net1plus.com/vyrdolak/NEFolkbelief.htm (real!)

Vampire archaeology: (warning - icky images): http://www.exn.ca/stories/1996/10/30/01.asp (real!)

Reading for Nov 7

Now that we've looked at non-human primates, we'll go back to the story of human evolution, back to when we diverged from non-human primates.

Required: Rice book Chapter 4: Early Hominids in Africa. pp 104-137.

Suggested: Take a quick look back at the end of Chapter 3, too, pp 91-99.

Optional: Check out the exciting recent find of a juvenile Australopithecus:

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0611/feature6/index.html

 http://www.nature.com/nature/focus/hominiddevelopment/index.html

Reading for Nov 14

Review Chapter 4, and read 139 – 151 on Homo erectus

Also read: readings from Nature about Homo floresiensis.

Reading for Nov 21

Required: Read 151-171, on Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans

Recommended: http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo2/mod_homo_2.htm

Optional:  Examine skulls and skeletons of H.s.n. and H.s.s.: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/neanderthals/skulls.html, http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/neand.htm, http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/N/neanderthal/facts/looked_like.html, http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993555, http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/cavemen/chronology/contentpage5.shtml

note: "Neanderthal" and "Neandertal" are both correct spellings. Some anthropologists classify Neandertals as Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (a subspecies), and others as Homo neanderthalensis  (a species).

Reading for Nov 28

NO NEW READING: REVIEW AND CONSOLIDATE YOU KNOWLEDGE OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH'S READINGS.