Welcome to Anthropology 278: Human Evolution and Diversity. This introductory physical anthropology course is designed to provide you with an understanding of human evolution and diversity from a biological perspective.

The course begins with an introduction to physical anthropology within the discipline of anthropology, which is the study of what it means to be human. From there, the course is divided into four parts:

• Part 1, Heredity and Evolution, provides a history of the development of evolutionary theory and discusses the biological basis for human evolution and adaptation.
• Part 2, Primates, covers the ecology, physiology, and social behaviour of nonhuman primates, with an emphasis on the aspects that are relevant to the study of human evolution.
• Part 3, Hominid Evolution, explores the origins of our hominid ancestors, with particular references made to reconstructions of physiology, ecology, and behaviour.
• Part 4, Contemporary Human Evolution, provides an overview of contemporary human evolution, including Neandertals, anatomically modern humans, and the modern features of human variation and adaptation.