Syllabus (ANTHROPOLOGY)

Course Type: MAJ-4

Semester: 4

Course Code: BANTMAJ04C

Course Title: Human Evolution, Variation and Diversity

(L-P-Tu): 5-1-0

Credit: 6

Practical/Theory: Combined

Course Objective: Understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes have for the origins and evolution of modern humans and their biology. The flexibility with which humans, both as individuals and as populations, cope with environmental challenges, through both biolo

Learning Outcome: The students will learn about the origin of hominoid group in the primates;. about the origin, distribution and characteristics of extinct hominids and the process of hominization; adaptive mechanism; ethnic heterogeneity, and genetic diversity of human p

BANTMJ04C: Human Evolution, Variation and Diversity 5+1 credits

Total Marks: 50 (30 theory + 20 practical)

Unit I: Primate origins and radiation with special reference to Miocene hominoids: Ramapithecus, distribution, features and their phylogenetic relationships.

Unit II: Australopithecines: distribution, features and their phylogenetic relationships; appearance of genus Homo (Homo habilis) and related finds.

Unit III: Homo erectus from Asia, Europe and Africa: distribution, features and their phylogenetic status.

Unit IV: Origin of Homo sapiens: fossil evidences of Neanderthals and Archaic Homo sapiens sapiens and the process of hominization, changes occurred in hominization.

Unit V: Human adaptability: adaptive mechanisms determining the types of adaptation.

Unit VI: Concept of ethnicity; Appraisal of contribution of H.H. Risley, B.S. Guha, and S.S. Sarkar towards understanding ethnic elements in the Indian populations.

Unit VII: Genetic diversity among Indian Populations.

Practical 20 marks

Craniology (five normas): frontalis, verticalis, lateralis, occipitalis and basalis

Craniometry: Maximum cranial length, Maximum cranial breadth, Maximum bizygomatic breadth Maximum frontal breadth, Minimum frontal breadth Nasal height, Nasal breadth Bi-mastoid breadth, Greatest occipital breadth upper facial height, morphological facial height, bizygomatic breadth

Cranial index, upper facial index, facial index, and Nasal index

Identification of Cranial bones: Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital, Maxilla, Zygomatic, Mandible (anatomical position, side determination, where applicable). Identification, anatomical position and side determination

References

Buettner-Janusch, J. 1966. Origins of Man: Physical Anthropology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Campbell, Bernard G. and James D. Loy. 1996. Human Kind Emerging. London: Harper & Collins. Conroy, G.C. 1997. Reconstructing Human Origins: A Modern Synthesis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Mukherji, Dipak, Debaprasad Mukherji, Premananda Bharati and Arijit Mukhopadhyay. 2018. Laboratory Manual for Biological Anthropology. Scholar, Kolkata.

Seth, P. K. and Seth, S. 1986. The Primates. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre.

Singh, I. P. and Bhasin, M.K. 1989. Anthropometry: A Laboratory Manual on Biological Anthropology. Delhi: Kamla-Raj Enterprises.

Standford, C., Allen, J.S. and Anton, S.C. 2012. Biological Anthropology: The Natural History of Mankind. New Delhi: PHI Learning Private Limited.

Swindler, D. R. 2009. Introduction to the Primates. New Delhi: Overseas Press India Pvt. Ltd