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Overview | Honours | Summary of Courses

Offered By:	ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
Academic Contact:	Dr Robert Attenborough

Biological anthropology is the branch of anthropology that focuses on the evolutionary and biological aspects of humankind: Homo sapiens as an evolved species - human populations as varied and dynamically changing sets of biological individuals, adaptable but also vulnerable to ever-changing circumstances. It is also concerned with the non-human primates, and with current debates on the biological bases of human social behaviour. The subject thus encompasses what used to be called physical anthropology, as well as primatology, palaeoanthropology and human population biology, including human genetics and the study of human health, nutrition, growth, demography and ecological adaptation, viewed comparatively and synthetically.

Biological anthropology thus takes an overview of the various biological specialisms as they apply to human beings and their evolutionary relatives, especially at the population level. Its place amongst the anthropological disciplines is reflected in its comparative (cross-cultural and cross-species) approach.

Human beings are highly complex cultural animals. Studying human evolution and biology within a School of Archaeology and Anthropology, biological anthropologists are constantly aware of and interested in the manifold interactions between the biological and socio-cultural dimensions of human existence.

Key topics in courses included in the Biological Anthropology major include the:

• primates (apes, monkeys, lemurs etc.), as the group of mammals amongst which humanity has its evolutionary origin;
• course of human evolution, as it can be traced from the fossil remains of human ancestors and relatives, or inferred from comparative genetics and anatomy;
• archaeologically excavated skeletal remains of more recent human populations, for what they can tell us about what past populations were like and how they lived;
• genetic and physical variety of living human populations, seen both as outcomes of natural selection and other micro-evolutionary processes, and as traces of long-term population origins, movements and histories; and the
• varied ecological adaptations and health patterns of living human populations in different parts of the world, reflecting as they do the diverse physical, biotic, social and cultural environments in which different populations live.

The pass degree courses are planned, not to provide specialised professional training, but to present students with an overall understanding of biological anthropology and its main sub-fields. Honours courses offer more specialist training and examine in more depth the discipline's theoretical basis. Students considering the possibility of entering careers as professional biological anthropologists should plan their courses with a view to taking the degree with Honours. Specific preparation for honours work begins in third year.

Requirements

The Biological Anthropology major requires the completion of a minimum of 42 units consisting of the following:

(a) Any combination of 12 first-year units from the School of Archaeology and Anthropology and/or School of Biology (normally but not necessarily a sequence in anthropology, archaeology or biology as indicated under 'first year' below). There is no dedicated first-year course in biological anthropology. Students are recommended to include at least 12 relevant first-year units in their first-year studies, chosen from the following: Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology ANTH1002, Global and Local ANTH1003, Archaeology: Finding Treasure and History ARCH1111, From Origins to Civilisations ARCH1112, and any first year biology courses, normally BIOL1003 and BIOL1004 or BIOL1008; PLUS

(b) 30 later-year units from lists A, B and C below. At least 18 units should be chosen from List A. No more than 6 units may be chosen from List C.

Notes:

1. Most advanced courses in Biological Anthropology are normally offered in alternate years only - see individual course entries.
2. The prerequisites for the advanced courses vary - see individual course entries.
3. List A of the major includes the core and compulsory courses for honours.
4. When prerequisites are fulfilled outside the major, the number of later-year units may alternatively be increased to 36 or 42 and the number of first-year units decreased commensurately so that the total remains 42. In these cases, at least 24 units should be from List A and and no more than 12 units may be chosen from List C.

 

Warning: Students should note that although courses from other Faculties are included in this major, they are not classified as "Arts" courses and you may not be able to include them in your degree. 

For students enrolled in a single BA the Program Rules allow for a maximum of 48 units (8 courses) out-of-faculty. 

For BA students enrolled in a combined degree, enrolment is restricted to Arts courses only, therefore you may not include out-of-faculty courses. 

For a list of courses that are approved to count as "Arts" courses in the BA please see the Bachelor of Arts Course Listing at the end of the College of Arts & Social Sciences entry in the Undergraduate Handbook or see the Undergraduate Courses offered by the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences. 

 

For information on Honours in Biological Anthropology click here.

For information on combined Honours in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology click here.

For information on Honours in Population Health click here.