Humans are as much a part of the natural world as plants and animals, and a full understanding of our anatomy, physiology and behaviour thus requires a deep appreciation of evolutionary principles. This major aims to provide that level of understanding by exploring human evolutionary history, a story spanning the last seven million years, and its relevance for humans today. Students in this major will strive to answer questions such as: How have evolutionary forces shaped the origin and maintenance of human adaptations? How are humans like other animals? What makes humans unique? And What evolutionary processes led to this uniqueness?
Learning Outcomes
Upon
successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Explain the processes of natural selection, adaptation and
speciation that underpin the evolution of animals and humans - Explain the characteristics of humans, including intelligence,
language, culture, morphology and behaviour, and place those in the context of
our place in the animal kingdom - Interpret and discuss hypotheses as to how and why uniquely human
adaptations initially evolved. - Critically evaluate and propose hypotheses about the future
directions of human evolution on the basis of existing evolutionary theory and
the selective factors acting on humans.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This major requires the completion of 48 units, which must consist of:
18 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIAN1001 | The Human Voyage: Introduction to Biological Anthropology | 6 |
| BIAN3113 | Human Evolution | 6 |
| BIOL1003 | Biology 1: Evolution, Ecology and Genetics | 6 |
A minimum of 6 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL3131 | Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology | 6 |
| BIOL3186 | Human Anatomy | 6 |
| BIOL3206 | Macroevolution and Macroecology | 6 |
A minimum of 12 units must come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIAN2015 | Human Skeletal Analysis | 6 |
| BIAN2119 | Nutrition, Disease and the Environment | 6 |
| BIAN3124 | Evolution and Human Behaviour | 6 |
| BIAN3127 | Primate Ecology and Behaviour | 6 |
A maximum of 12 units may come from completion of courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIAN2126 | Primate Evolutionary Biology | 6 |
| BIAN2133 | Mating and Parenting: Evolutionary Ecology of Human Reproductive Strategies | 6 |
| BIAN3021 | Primate Conservation Biology | 6 |
| BIAN3125 | Ancient Health & Disease | 6 |
| BIOL2131 | Ecology | 6 |
| BIOL2191 | Ecology of Health and Disease | 6 |
| BIOL2222 | Exquisite Corpse - Insight Into The Human Body | 6 |
| BIOL3204 | Genetics of Human Disease 1 | 6 |
| BIOL3205 | Genetics of Human Disease 2 | 6 |