Where did humankind come from, why do we behave the way we do, and does this behaviour help us survive in our unique biocultural environments?
Biological anthropology is a subdiscipline of anthropology that seeks to understand the origins and diversity of human biology and behaviour from an evolutionary and biocultural perspective. In this major, you will complete courses in primatology, palaeoanthropology, human skeletal biology, and human behavioural ecology to gain insights into culture, society, behaviour, adaptability, ecology, and biology across diverse human cultures, human ancestors, and non-human primates from deep time to today. You will explore key challenges faced by humanity from a biological anthropological perspective to learn how we, as an evolved species, are both resilient and vulnerable to the ever-changing circumstances in which we live. These challenges include climate change, disaster recovery, conservation and protection of the natural world, social inequality, health and wellbeing, and nutrition. Finally, you will critically engage in key debates in the field of biological anthropology, such as the biosocial bases of human social behaviour, human variation and ‘race’, and the ethics of studying human skeletal remains.
Learning Outcomes
- understand the scope of selected sub-fields of biological anthropology as a discipline and situate it in a wider anthropological context;
- develop an understanding of the theoretical approaches and methods used in selected sub-fields of biological anthropology and the ethical factors to be considered in their application;
- critically apply methods and theoretical and ethical approaches to the investigation of key questions in biological anthropology;
- understand the social, environmental, biological, and ethical implications of biological anthropology research and explore its relevance to a range of disciplines; and
- communicate biological anthropology concepts and perspectives in a broad range of formats according to ethical and scientific best practice.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
The Biological Anthropology Minor requires the completion of 24 units, which must consist of:
6 units from the completion of the following course(s):
BIAN1001 - The Human Voyage: Introduction to Biological Anthropology (6 units)
18 units from the completion of the following courses:
BIAN2015 - Human Skeletal Analysis (6 units)
BIAN2119 - Nutrition, Disease and the Environment (6 units)
BIAN3113 - Human Evolution (6 units)
BIAN3124 - Evolution and Human Behaviour (6 units)
BIAN3125 - Ancient Health and Disease (6 units)
BIAN3127 - Primate Behaviour and Conservation (6 units)
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