Evolution and Human Diversity EEB 2202

HuskyCT - https://lms.uconn.edu/webct/logon/1258756374011
Instructors:
1st half: Prof. Carl Schlichting
Office: 366 Torrey Life Sciences
486-4056, schlicht@uconn.edu
2nd half: Prof. Peter Turchin
Office: 462 Torrey Life Sciences
486-3603, peter.turchin@uconn.edu
Teaching assistant:
Jon Velotta
Office: 212 Pharmacy Biology
486-4694, jonathan.velotta@uconn.edu

Hours: by appointment

Hours: by appointment

Hours: by appointment

No Required Textbook
Supplementary Texts: Relethford, The Human Species, 8th edition
Mielke et al. (2006/2011) Human Biological Variation, 1st or 2nd editions
Richerson & Boyd, Not by Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution (2004)
We will be using clickers: register your clicker on HuskyCt
Course Grading
2 in-class exams
100 pts each
Final exam
2/3 last section / 1/3 cumulative
2 class exercises
Attendance
TOTAL

200 pts
200 pts
100 pts
40 pts
540 pts

Attendance pts 2 pts per lecture (maximum of 40pts), starting 1/28

Extra credit points see last page
Study tips
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~ph101vc/study/Improve.html
Do any assigned reading AHEAD of the lecture.

This course fulfills a requirement for CA4 Diversity & Multiculturalism

Students should understand and articulate in some measurable manner, with respect to race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, political system, religious tradition, or disability, the following:

LearningGoals
1)perspectivesthatdetermineinterpretivesystemsandsocial,culturalandeconomicconstructions
2)thedifferencesandsimilaritiesamonghumangroups
StudentOutcomes
11:Differentiatevarietiesofhumanexperiences,modesofthinking,values
12:Analyzeproblemsorissuesshowinganunderstandingofculturaldiversity,includinghis/her
ownculturalperspective

31:Identifypointsofcomparisonandcontrastbetweenvariousculturesorpeoples

PART I: BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION & GENETICS

Topic
Overview
I. Evolutionary Past - Human Ancestors
A. Primates & Hominins
B. Origin and Spread of Modern Humans
1. Characteristics
2. Hypotheses of origins

Relevant reading in Relethford

Chapter 1: pp 1-7,9,12-28
5: 126-142; 10:247-249; 11:283284

21 JAN

13: 329-341
13: 341-354

23 JAN
23 JAN

II. Basic Human Genetic Principles

A. Variation
1. Phenotypes
2. Human races phenotypes

14: 356- top366

14: 366-371

B. Genes and genotypes

1. DNA and chromosomes;
mutation
2. Mendelian principles
3. Complex / Quantitative traits

2: 31- mid40
bot52-57; 3: 70-71
2: 40-49
2: 49-52

III. Evolutionary Principles

A. Populations and genes
B. Evolutionary Forces
1. Selection
2. Genetic Drift
3. Migration gene flow

28 JAN

B. Natural selection
C. Genetics of racial variation
V. Nature vs. Nurture - Environmental effects
1. The basics: P = G + E + G*E
2. How much can a genetic trait be modified?
3. Case study: IQ

28 JAN
30 JAN
4 FEB

3: 65-70

4 FEB

3: 71-76
3: 76-81
3: 81-88

6 FEB
11 FEB
11 FEB
Tuesday
Feb 18th

EXAM 1
IV. Evolution of Human populations
A. Patterns of Human Genetic Variation:
Genetic drift & migration

Approx
Dates
21 JAN

15: 381-388
15: 388-404
16: 407-419
14: 371-378

20 FEB
25 FEB
4 MARCH
6 MARCH

14:376 ; 7:178-180

6 MARCH

PART II: CULTURAL EVOLUTION

Topic
Introduction to culture
Cultural influences on human behavior

Supplementary Readings*
Not By Genes Alone: Chap. 1

SPRING BREAK
Darwinian theory of cultural evolution
The puzzle of human ultrasociality

War and Peace and War:

Chap. 5

Theories of sociality: new and old

Individual vs. Group in

Natural Selection

EXAM 2
Cultural group selection
Evolution of warfare
Cultural transmission, imitation, and conformism
Behavioral economics, public goods games
Cultural variability in cooperation. Evolution of Social Brain
Transition from simple to complex societies
Evolution of religion
Wrapping up. Cultural evolution today. Variability of legal,
political, and value systems among human groups.

The nail in the coffin for group

selection?
The Weirdest People in the
World?
Human Rites
TBA

11 March
13 March
18 & 20
March
25 March
27 March
1 April
Thurs
3 April
8 April
10 April
15 April
17 April
24 April
24 April
29 April
1 May

*All readings will be posted on HuskyCT prior to the lecture

Extra Credit:
Join the Facebook group:
Evolution & Human Diversity (UConn EEB 2202 Spring '14)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/461264763922357/permalink/609443385771160/
Starting in week 2, you can earn 1 extra credit point EACH week of the semester by posting
articles or participating in discussions. Thats up to 13 points over the entire semester (NOT
including Spring Break). The Facebook page is an online environment where interested
students can find additional information on topics relevant to the course. So check in and read
articles even if you arent posting stuff.
To earn extra credit, simply find an article online that is relevant to the weeks lectures and post
it to the wall. Include a brief blurb about why you find this article interesting. NO duplicates will
be accepted, so make sure someone has not already posted your article.
Alternately, participate in an online discussion about a topic of interest related to the course.
Use the discussion tab to start a new topic. Making a vacuous statement like I really liked this
article will not earn you credit. But starting a discussion will, and so will engaging in substantial
meaningful discourse. Remember that it takes at least two people to have a discussion, so
follow up on others leads.
There is no limit to the number of contributions you can make, but you can only earn 1 point
PER WEEK. Weeks start and end at midnight Sunday. Jon will moderate the group and decide
which articles and discussion topics are worth extra credit.
Engage, enjoy and have fun - but please remember to play nice. Disrespectful or insulting
behavior will not be tolerated. You will be held to the student code:
http://www.community.uconn.edu/student_code.html