Fall 2009
Meeting Place: Hale 270
Meeting Time: MWF 8:00 am
Professor: Matt Sponheimer
Office: Hale 347
Office Hours: M 2:30-5:30 pm
Phone: 303-735-2065
Email: matt.sponheimer@colorado.edu
Website: http://www.colorado.edu/anthropology/sponheimer
Mirror: http://melampus.colorado.edu/class
TA: Oliver Paine (oliver.paine@colorado.edu)
Readings Website: https://melampus.colorado.edu/class/readings/2010
Click here for the study guide!
Class Schedule
August
Week 1
Introduction
Chapter 1
September
Week 2
Study of
Nature
Chapter 2
Week 3 Establishing Earth’s and Humanity’s
Antiquity
Chapter 2
Week 4 Development of Evolutionary
Thought
Chapters 2 & 3
Week 5 Evolution
Continued
Chapters 3 & 4
First Mid-Term Exam on
September 25th
October
Week 6
Introduction to
Primates
Chapter 6
Week 7 Primate Ecology &
Behavior
Chapters 6 & 7
Week 8 Hominoids & Primate
Cognition
Chapter 7 & 8
Week 9 Mammal & Early Primate
Evolution
Chapters 5 & 9
Week 10 Introduction to
Paleoanthropology
Chapters 10 & 11
Second Mid-Term Exam on
October 23rd
November
Week 11
South African Hominid
Discoveries
Chapter 11
Week 12 East African Hominid
Discoveries
Chapter 11
Week 13 Early Hominid Ecology & Recent
Finds
Chapters 10 & 11
Week 14 Fall
Break
no reading
Third Mid-Term Exam on
November 20th
December
Week 15
Homo erectus &
Friends
Chapters 12 & 13
Week 16 Origin of Modern
Humans
Chapter 14
Fourth Mid-Term Exam on
December 9th
Textbook
The class text is Introduction
to Physical Anthropology, 12th Edition by Jurmain et al. It is available at
the campus bookstore. This text boasts an online component, which you might find
useful for test preparation.
Grading
There will be four mid-term
exams, all of which will be in multiple-choice format. There will be a review
session (or review sheet) before each test, which should aid your studying
efforts considerably. Furthermore, I will drop the lowest of your first three
mid-term scores, thus your final grade will be calculated as follows: two (of
three) mid-terms exams (33.3% each) and the fourth mid-term exam (33.3%). I will
not drop your score for the fourth mid-term under any circumstances, so do not
miss it! It is worth noting that much of the material to be covered in lectures
(and concomitantly in exams) is not in your textbook. Thus, skip lectures at
your peril! There will be no makeup exams. If you miss a test, the next will
be given double weight. None of the exams will be graded on a curve.
Disabilities
If you qualify for
accommodations because of a disability, please bring me a letter from Disability
Services so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services (303-492-8671,
Willard 322, www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices) determines accommodations
based on documented disabilities.
