2 Anthropology assignments. Worksheet and original two-page response paper submitted on turnitin.com

Hominin Worksheet - Instructions During this unit, you will read about numerous hominin fossil specimens that have been given specific genus and species names. However, the practice of naming fossil species is rather more problematic than it might first appear. In anthropology the most commonly used definition of species is the biological species concept of polymath Dr. Ernst Mayr (1942): Species are groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups. The problem lies in the fact that we can't test interbreeding potential in extinct animals, including most hominins. So, the species names of fossil specimens do not carry the same biological weight as do those of living species. Over the past two decades, paleontologists have recognized that skeletal variation that had earlier resulted in new species names really just represented normal variation within a single species. Thus, there are far more hominin species names than actual broad hominin types. So, I don't want any of my students to get too overwhelmed by all those hard-to-pronounce scientific names. In my opinion, what is more important is understanding the patterns of biological and behavioral change that took place during our hominin evolution. So, to help you distill those patterns from all the complex information you will read in this unit, I have developed a worksheet on which you will summarize morphological and behavioral/cultural changes in the major subtypes of hominins. The worksheet is divided into four columns representing each of the major hominin subtypes. Each column then has three rows into which you will record, in bullet point format, significant identifying characteristics of each hominin type. These characteristics are divided into three groups: Cranial Morphology - the shape and size of individual features on the skull, as well as the overall shape and size of the face and braincase Post-Cranial Skeletal Morphology (everything below the head) - shape and size of individual skeletal elements (example: the phalanges) or portions of the broader skeletal segments (example: the lower limb) Behavioral and Cultural Innovations: behavior/cultural strategies (example: burial of the dead) and material culture (example: tool types) As you complete the worksheet, use simple words or phrases to identify significant traits. I have set up the worksheet to include three bullet points per field. This is not meant to establish a maximum entry number. Add additional bullet points as needed. To get you started, an example, I have added to the worksheet the first entry in each row for the Australopith hominins. The goal is to allow easy comparison of hominin groups so that you can recognize the pattern of evolutionary change that took place over the past 5+ million years. This assignment is a unit assignment for which you will complete each section as you complete the required chapter readings over the next three weeks. The completed worksheet is due on the last day of the course. No late submission will be accepted. Australopithecines = Chapter 10 (focus on the gracile Australopiths; omit the robust forms: Au. aethiopicus, Au. boisei, Au. robustus) Early Genus Homo = Chapter 11 (focus on H. erectus) Archaic Homo sapiens = Chapter 12 (Ice Age species, H. heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis) Modern Homo sapiens = Chapter 13 (modern Homo sapiens) Once complete, you should be able to answer questions like, but not limited to, the following: How has the brain case change throughout hominin evolutionary history? How has the shape of the face changed throughout hominin evolution? What are the body proportions of Neanderthals relative to Modern Homo sapiens? How did the shape of the rib cage changed? See attached worksheet. Other assignment Locate an online article published within the last year that deals with some aspect of physical anthropology. Science oriented web sources are preferred (Example: ScienceDaily website is preferred over CNN.com) Read the article and write a 2-page response (double-spaced, 11-point font, 1-inch margins). The text should include the article’s title and author, a URL link to its source, a summary of its central points, and a reflection on how the article relates to what you have learned in the course.