An introduction to human bioarchaeology, particularly evolutionary and comparative anatomy of the human body, what makes it unique among other primates, and why it varies among populations. Includes aspects of forensic anthropology.
What makes humans unique to all other primates, and how did we come to be that way? How can we explain the variation in morphology among human populations? How can we use aspects of the skeleton of past people to look at their life history? This paper explores these questions by providing an introduction to the study of Biological Anthropology of the human skeleton. The paper primarily focuses on the evolution, structure and function of the human skeletal system, with an introduction to bioarchaeological and forensic methods.
| Paper title | Biocultural Human Skeletal Biology |
|---|---|
| Paper code | BIOA201 |
| Subject | Biological Anthropology |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Summer School
(On campus)
Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,141.35 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- ((One of ARCH 101, ANTH 103, ANTH 106, BIOA 101 BIOL 112, CELS 191, HUBS 191, HUBS 192) and 36 further points) or 108 points
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Science
- Contact
bioa201.admin@otago.ac.nz
Anatomy Office Room 231
2nd Floor, Lindo Ferguson Building (LFB)
Tel: 03 479 7362- More information link
- View more information on the structure of the Anatomy major
- Teaching staff
Academic Convenor: Associate Professor Sian Halcrow
- Teaching Arrangements
- All teaching is undertaken on campus.
- Textbooks
Required: White T and Folkens P, 2005. The Human Bone Manual Amsterdam. Academic Press.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship,
Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Information literacy,
Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork, Environmental literacy.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Develop an understanding of the biological basis for human variation
- Develop a detailed understanding of human musculoskeletal anatomy, including the functional anatomy of joints and muscles, from bioarchaeological and forensic perspectives
- Develop an understanding of primate comparative musculoskeletal anatomy and how this relates to human evolution
- Develop an understanding of human bone and dental biology, specifically with regards to growth and development
- Develop an understanding of the biological basis of sexual dimorphism in humans and how sex estimation is established in bioarchaeology and forensic identification
- Demonstrate the ability to observe, describe, interpret and communicate aspects of the human skeleton from a bioarchaeological, evolutionary and forensic perspective
