Biological Anthropology Courses

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  • ANTH 3 / Human Evolution: Biological Anthropology and Archaeology (4) - view
    An introduction to the study of human biological and cultural evolution using the methods and theories of biological anthropology and archaeology. The course surveys some basic principles of evolutionary theory, primatology, the hominid fossil record, origins of modern humans, their physical variation, and archaeological evidence for the evolution of symbolic behavior, agriculture, and civilization. Offered every semester. Fulfills: BNS
  • ANTH 4 / Cultural Diversity: Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics (4) - view
    A comparative examination of the cultural diversity of humanity. Using case studies of peoples in differing contexts, the course presents theories and data on a range of topics for understanding contemporary human conditions, including subsistence strategies, political and economic systems, religion and expressive behavior, language, culture change, and the interdependence of cultures throughout the planet. Offered every semester. Fulfills: BSS DIT
  • ANTH 11 / Ecological Anthropology (4) - view
    An interdisciplinary course that draws on data and theory from cultural and biological perspectives in anthropology and from environmental studies to question and examine the relationship of humans and the environment. Through comparisons of human cultural and biological adaptations to physical environments of the past and present, students gain a unique perspective on our impact on, relationship with, and place within the natural world. Recommended: ANTH 3 or 4. Offered fall semester. Fulfills: BI DIT BSS
  • ANTH 25 / Primatology (4) - view
    The study of primate behavior, how it can be understood as environmental adaptation, its evolutionary significance, and how it compares to human behavior. Topics include primate ecology, social behavior, sociobiology, and cognition. Prerequisite: ANTH 3 or permission of instructor. Offered spring semester in even-numbered years.
  • ANTH 101 / Archaeological Method and Theory (4) - view
    Archaeology relies on a body of theories and methods for reading human prehistory from the incomplete record left by past cultures. This course offers a counterpoint to ANTH 12/Prehistory in examining how questions asked by archaeologists are addressed. Topics include techniques of excavation and artifact analysis and the major theoretical approaches to archaeological inference. The course is divided between lecture and laboratory sessions in which students analyze archaeological data. Prerequisite: ANTH 3. Offered fall semester.
  • ANTH 124 / Human Osteology (4) - view
    A study of human skeletal biology and bioarcheology. The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the bones and anatomical landmarks of the human skeleton and how stress, disease, injury, and lifestyle affect them. The course includes some instruction in paleopathology and forensic anthropology, with laboratory exercises providing direct examination of skeletal material. Prerequisite: ANTH 3 or permission of instructor. Offered fall semester.
  • ANTH 125 / Medical Anthropology (4) - view
    The cross-cultural study of health and healing in ecological, evolutionary, and political-economic perspectives. Surveys cultural differences in health, reproduction, nutrition, disease ecology, medical systems, and mortality. Also considers the evolution of human disease and the efficacy of different medical systems. Prerequisite: ANTH 4 or permission of instructor. Offered fall semester.
  • ANTH 126 / Evolution and Human Behavior (4) - view
    A study of the basic principles of evolutionary theory as applied to the study of human social behavior. The course examines competing views on the importance of biology for understanding human behavior and considers the relationship between genes and culture. Prerequisite: ANTH 3 or permission of instructor. Offered spring semester in even-numbered years.
  • ANTH 127 / Human Evolutionary Genetics (4) - view
    A study of human genetics in evolutionary perspective. Topics include the structure of the human genome, human-ape comparisons, human genetic diversity, interpreting that diversity, what it tells us about human origins and migrations, effects of population admixture, health implications, and forensic DNA analysis. Prerequisite: ANTH 3 or BIOL 7. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.
  • ANTH 137 / Selected Topics in Biological Anthropology (4) - view
    An investigation of one or more major subject areas in biological anthropology. Topics vary in accordance with student interest and faculty expertise and may include intensive courses in primatology, human adaptability, osteology, anthropological genetics or other aspects of human biology. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisite: ANTH 3. Offering to be determined.
  • ANTH 199 / Senior Seminar in Anthropology (4) - view
    An examination of anthropology as a profession. Discussion of current major issues in the discipline. Prerequisite: Senior standing in anthropology or behavioral science or permission of instructor. Offered spring semester.
  • BIOL 7 / Ecology and Evolution (4) - view
    An exploration of evolutionary and ecological processes and consequences, with close examination of population dynamics, population genetics, principles of heredity, the evolution of adaptations, community interactions, ecosystems, and biodiversity. Laboratory includes field-based investigations of upland and wetland ecosystems, as well as simulations and laboratory experiments. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Offered fall semester. Fulfills: BNS
  • BIOL 9 / Diversity of Life: Animals, Plants, and Microbes (4) - view
    A survey of the animals, plants, fungi, protista, and bacteria of Planet Earth, with comparative analysis of adaptations for survival, reproduction, development, and metabolism. Laboratory emphasizes experimental methods of science as well as morphology and physiology of the major phyla. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Corequisite: Must register for Biol 9L. Offered spring semester.
  • BIOL 22 / Molecular and Cellular Biology (4) - view
    An introduction to composition, structure, and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, using themes of energy and reproduction. Topics include DNA replication, transcription, and translation, mutations, gene regulation, membrane function, cellular communication, motility, absorption, and secretion. Laboratory includes current research techniques such as cell culture nucleic acid characterization, cloning, and restriction mapping. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL7, BIOL 9 and CHEM 7. Offered fall semester.
  • BIOL 24 / Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology (4) - view
    An examination of the structure and function of various physiological systems, such as circulation, respiration, and reproduction. How organs and organ systems evolved, how they function at a biochemical and biophysical level, how they are regulated, and how the functions of multiple systems are interconnected and coordinated within the whole organism. Laboratory will include the exploration of the dynamic function and regulation of human physiological systems and the study of anatomy through dissection of animal specimens. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 9, BIOL 22 and CHEM 7. Offered spring semester.
  • BIOL 140 / Vertebrate Morphogenesis (4) - view
    Vertebrate anatomy and embryology integrated into a single sequence relating adult morphology to embryological development and adaptation. Stresses basic principles of vertebrate organization, functional considerations of morphology, homologies among vertebrate structures, and evolutionary relations of vertebrate groups. Laboratory work includes comparative studies of various vertebrate types and field trips to the Bronx Zoo and American Museum of Natural History. Fulfills laboratory requirement for major. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 7 and BIOL 9, or permission of instructor. Offered fall semester.
  • BIOL 142 / Developmental Biology (4) - view
    Examination of the principles of development and mechanisms involved in the growth , shaping, and differentiation of organisms. Topics include gene regulation in multicellular organisms, cytoplasmic determination, interactions with extracellular matrix, organ morphogenesis, and mechanisms regulating the pattern of biological structures. In the laboratory, traditional and modern biological techniques and procedures are applied to the study of development. Meets: Three hours class, three hours lab. Offering to be determined.
  • BIOL 166 / Evolutionary Genetics (4) - view
    An exploration of major concepts in evolutionary biology. Topics include population genetics, quantitative genetics, natural selection, molecular evolution, speciation, systematics, and paleobiology. Although the primary emphasis will be on theoretical concepts, students will be introduced to the methods used to test evolutionary hypotheses in both lecture and lab. Fulfills laboratory requirement for major. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 7, 9, and 22, or permission of instructor. Offered spring semester in even-numbered years.
  • BIOL 167 / Animal Behavior (4) - view
    An investigation of the behavior of animals from an evolutionary perspective Topics to be covered include foraging, vigilance, social behavior, mating strategies, animal communication, and more. Lectures and discussions will focus on theoretical principles supported by empirical examples from organisms such as dung beetles, striped plateau lizards, song sparrows, and various primate species. Laboratories will be focused on experimental design and learning the techniques of conducting animal behavior research. Fulfills laboratory requirement for major. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: BIOL 7 and 9, or permission of instructor. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.
  • BIOL 190 / Seminar in Biology (2) - view
    In-depth investigation of selected topics in biology. Topics vary; see course listings for each semester. Discussions, analysis of primary scientific literature, student presentations, and written research papers. Course may be repeated for credit as topics change. Meets: Two hours class. Prerequisite: Varies with topic of seminar. Offering to be determined.
  • BIOL 195 / Independent Study in Biology: Literature Research (2) - view
    An in-depth study through literature research and written literature review on a topic in biology selected by individual students in conjunction with a faculty member, who will supervise the research. A 35-minute weekly research seminar meeting is required, where students present work in progress and receive logistical guidance. Course may be repeated. Signature of instructor required for registration. Prerequisite: minimum GPA of 2.00 in the major. Offered every semester.
  • BIOL 196 / Research in Biology (2-4) - view
    An opportunity for upper-level students to design and execute an independent project in biology, including laboratory or field research, under the supervision of biology, neurosciences, or RISE faculty. A one hour weekly research seminar meeting is required, where students present work in progress and receive logistical guidance. Interested students should meet with a faculty member to plan the project and establish the amount of credit before registration. Students normally enroll for two credits, especially when beginning a new project. Students conducting honors research in biology should register for this course at the four-credit level rather than registering for HON 109 and 110. Two semesters of BIOL 196 satisfy one laboratory course requirement toward the major. Amount of credit established at time of registration. May be repeated for credit but at most eight credits of BIOL 195 and 16 may be counted toward requirements for the biology major. Signature of instructor required for registration. Signature of instructor required for registration. Prerequisite: BIOL 7, 9, and 22, and a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the major. Offered every semester.
  • CHEM 6 / Principles of Chemistry I (4) - view
    An introduction to the fundamental principles of chemistry as a quantitative science, including inorganic reactions, properties of gases, liquids, and solids, thermochemistry, atomic theory, and nuclear chemistry. Appropriate for those with little or no background in chemistry. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Offered fall semester. Fulfills: BNS Q
  • CHEM 7 / Principles of Chemistry II (4) - view
    A continuation of CHEM 6/6A covering the structure of solids, kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibria, electrochemistry, and the principles of descriptive inorganic chemistry, including the transition metals. Meets: Three hours class, three hours laboratory. Prerequisite: CHEM 6/6A. Corequisite: CHEM 7LüCHEM 7AL. Offered spring semester.
  • MATH 3 / Introductory Statistics (4) - view
    Presentation and interpretation of data, frequency distributions, measures of center and dispersion, elementary probability, inference and sampling, regression and correlation; use of a standard statistics software product. Designed for students in the social and biological sciences. Meets: 150 minutes weekly, with an additional weekly 50-minute recitation. Offered every semester. Same as: MAT 861. Fulfills: Q