BIO A 201 A: Principles of Biological Anthropology

Principles of Biological Anthropology

Autumn 2025 

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Lecture: MWF 11:30 - 12:50pm  SMI 205

Lab: Tuesdays, Denny 410

• • • AA  9:30 - 10:20am
    • AB  10:30 - 11:20am
    • AC  11:30 - 12:20pm
    • AD  12:30 - 1:20pm

Course Overview & Learning Goals

This course is an introduction to biological anthropology. During the quarter, we will explore the processes and mechanisms of evolution and the “human story.” We will learn about evolutionary and genetic processes and the roles they have played in shaping the biological and behavioral adaptations of the Primate Order – humans, the nonhuman primates, and our ancestors. We will consider what it means to be human and how we “fit” into the larger natural world, examining past, present, and future human variation, the complex interactions of biology, behavior, and our environments. In addition, we will examine the ways in which we are currently trying to better understand ourselves and our history.

Students should leave this course with an understanding of the following:

• Evolutionary theory, variation, and adaptation – how organisms change and adapt over time
• Nonhuman primate diversity, ecology, and behavior – for its intrinsic value and as models of human behavior
• Paleoanthropology and the fossil record which reveals our evolutionary history from small protoprimates to large-brained hominins, taxonomy, morphology, and behavior
• The variation and selective factors that shape biology and behavior in modern human populations

Structure, Organization & Coursework

Students are expected to attend all lectures (Mon, Wed, Fri) and all lab sessions (Tue).  We will use Canvas for communication, assignments, and supplemental materials.  The course is organized into four topical sections.  The first two sections make up the material for the midterm exam, the second two for the final:

• Evolutionary theory and processes
• Primate anatomy and behavior
• Hominin evolution
• Modern humans. 

This is a 200-level class, but that refers to the lack of prerequisites, not to the level of difficulty. This course is worth 5 credits, meaning approximately 15 hours of work each week: 4 hours of lecture, 1 hour for lab section, and the remaining hours for outside work (reading, studying, working in groups, and completing assignments).  The workload is balanced between low-stakes assignments (weekly polls, online quizzes, lab activities) and higher stakes tests and exams. 

Course Materials

Boyd, R., Silk, J. B., & Langergraber, K. (2023). How humans evolved (10th ed.).W.W. Norton & Company ISBN 978-1-324-06174-8 (paperback)/ 978-1-324-06183-0 (ePub)

The textbook, How Humans Evolved (10th ed.), is RECOMMENDED, but not required - however, students tend to have a more thorough understanding of the material and significantly better outcomes with the textbook.

The text should be available through UW’s University Bookstore  and directly from the publisher, W.W. Norton.

Please note that older editions like the 8^th or 9^th, while available, are different and not exact substitutes for the newest edition. Homework reading page assignments are based on the 10^thedition.

Lecture materials will be available via Canvas within 24hrs after each class meeting. I do not provide slides in advance.  If Panopto recordings are available, they will be posted for one week after the date of the lecture.  This is meant to encourage students to stay current if they miss a class. 

All materials provided in this class (handouts, exams, videos, slides, etc.) are protected by copyright.  I make these available for personal academic use only.  It is illegal to share, upload, copy or otherwise distribute any of these images or materials without my consent.  This includes any kind of online sharing from study sites to social media groups.

Assessments and Grading

Grading Categories:

• 25%  Weekly Homework and In-class Polls on Lecture, Readings, and Film assignments
• 25%  Lab Participation & Assignments
• 23%  Exam 1
• 5%    Lab Practical Exam (Exam 2, part 1)
• 22%  Exam 2, part 2

LECTURE BASED ASSESSMENTS:

• Canvas Topic Quizzes: These are weekly assignments covering readings and lecture topics.  They are low-stakes practice questions, meant to help students assess their grasp of concepts as we move through the material and to get exam practice.  These are not timed and may be accessed as multiple times before their due dates.
• Films: There are several films assigned across the quarter as homework. Students should watch these on their own time and complete a short summary quiz.  Some are an hour, some two hours, so be sure to allocate appropriate time to view these.
• Polls: Generally, there will be 1-2 in-class polls per week. The occur during lecture, randomly, and are based on recently covered material (the previous few days).  These are quick closed-book, closed-note polls hosted on Poll Everywhere. Students will need to bring a smart device to access them during class.  Grading is mainly based on participation but may also be graded on correctness at times.  Polls are 5-10 points each.
  • Students may miss four polls with no impact: the four lowest poll scores will be dropped at the end of the quarter. This is meant to cover unexpected absences and student illness.  Having this built into the grading system means that there will be no excused absences for polls, nor any poll make-up opportunities*.   There is no need to contact the instructor for missed polls unless a personal situation arises that could impact a student’s ability to attend class for more than one week – in this case, please see the ‘Policies’ section below.
  • While access to a smart device in class is necessary to participate in class polls, using these devices for purposes other than class activities or note-taking is prohibited. Please be sure to silence ringers and alerts and shut down music/movies/social media programs before coming to class. 

LAB BASED ASSESSMENTS:

• Weekly lab meetings are required and are not interchangeable - students are expected to attend the lab in which they are enrolled.
• Lab activities are often interactive. Students are asked to come prepared to discuss current course topics and be ready to participate with questions and discussion.  Please contact your TA if you miss a lab to determine if it qualifies as an excused absence.
• Each week lab points are earned based on active participation in the lab and any associated assignments. An assignment may be an activity during lab; it may start with an in-lab activity and then be completed as homework; or it may simply be homework to be completed outside of lab.  Assignments will be presented in labs and also posted on the Canvas LAB HOME and MODULES. 
• For any submission of work to Canvas, it is the responsibility of the student to be sure all uploads are legible and meet the requirements of the assignment as of the due date.  Empty, corrupted, or illegible uploads cannot be accepted and will result in zero points.

EXAMS:

All exams are given in-person during regular class time or as specified.  A purple Scantron answer sheet and pencil are required for multiple choice exams.   * DRS testing accommodations should be scheduled in advance by students themselves directly with the DRS testing center – see ‘Accommodations’ below for more details.

• Exam 1 – Multiple choice – based on material presented in sections one and two.
• Exam 2, part 1 - Lab Practical - a specimen-based exam, primarily focused on section three.
• Exam 2, part 2 – Multiple choice – primarily based on material in sections three and four, cumulative in regard to overarching themes.

Grade Scale

Late Policy, Missed Work & Accommodations

• Late assignments will be accepted for up to 24hrs after their due date for 50% of earned Anything submitted after this 24hr late period will not be accepted.  
  • For example, on a 10pt assignment where a student has 8/10 correct answers: if turned in on time, the grade is 8/10 pts; if the deadline has passed but the work is turned in within the 24hr late window, the grade is 4/10 pts – 50% of earned points.  
  • After 24hrs, the assignment will not be accepted, and the score is zero.  
• Missed exams may only be made up if approved and arranged in advance with the instructor and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  A missed exam is considered an unexcused absence with a zero score unless otherwise determined by the above.
• If a student knows they need to reschedule an assignment or exam, it should be addressed by the second Friday of the quarter.  Later notification will only be considered if schedules are in flux (like athletic tournaments, where outcomes may be unknown).   

ABSENCES:

The following are accepted categories for accommodation or excused absences.   Any other reason for missing participation activities, assignments or exams is not excused.

• Disability Resources for Students (DRS)*: It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If accommodations with DRS have already been established, please be sure to activate the accommodations via myDRS. If services have not yet been established through DRS, but a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts) arises, contact DRS directly at uw.edu to set up an Access Plan.  

* DRS testing accommodations should be scheduled in advance by students themselves directly with the DRS testing center.  It is the student’s responsibility to make these arrangements in advance of testing dates.  Alternative testing accommodation may be arranged if discussed with the instructor well in advance of test dates.  Please contact me if there are questions or concerns about how accommodations may be implemented in this course.

• Religious Accommodation: A student who is anticipating being absent from class due to a Religious Accommodation activity needs to complete the Religious Accommodations Request process by the second Friday of the quarter. 
• Academic/Athletic Absences: Students who anticipate missing class due to attendance at academic conferences or field trips, or participation in university-sponsored activities should provide a written notice to the instructor ahead of the absence. The instructor will determine if the graded activity or exam can be rescheduled or if there may be other options to make up missed work.
• Medical Excuses: To protect student privacy and the integrity of the academic experience, students will not be required to provide a medical excuse note to justify an absence from class due to illness. A student who misses a graded class activity or examination due to illness must request, in writing, to take a rescheduled examination or perform work judged by the instructor to be the equivalent within a reasonable amount of time (7 days) after the missed due date.
• The Unexpected: In the case of unforeseen circumstances (asteroid collisions, car wrecks, zombie invasions, serious issues, etc.), please try to contact me within 24hrs if you would like to request accommodation. Missed assignments (excluding polls) will be handled on a case-by-case basis. In order to have any unplanned absences excused or address missed work, students must contact me within one week (7 days) of their incident, absence or missed deadline to have their case considered.

Student Hours, Communication & Extra Help

Student Hours will be held in person weekly, or via Zoom by previous arrangement.  Times and contact information for myself and our TA are posted on Canvas under “Support & Student Hours.”  Meetings by appointment are also possible if these times do not work – just ask! 

Email can be sent either through the course Canvas website or directly to me (andid@uw.edu - please include “BIOA 201” in the subject line if emailing directly).  Please note that, while it is my general policy not to respond to email between the hours of 6:00pm and 7:00am on weekdays, and to have very limited access on weekends, it is part of my commitment to students that I am available during “regular business hours” for weekly appointments (Student Hours), drop-ins, and email.

Let’s approach class and each other with some patience, flexibility, respect, and humor.   We may all be affected by personal and health related issues for ourselves and our family and friends.  I encourage students to meet with me to discuss course materials, current events, random fun topics, or just to say hi.  If there are concerns with the material or grades, please contact me to review or discuss

Communication is crucial.  If you are experiencing personal issues that are impacting your work, please make me aware of the situation (with as little or as much information as is comfortable to be shared) as early as possible and I will do my best to help in any way I can.  Do not wait until the “last minute” when it is too late to alter outcomes.  Please, if you find yourself needing help – reach out. 

Conduct

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an environment where the free exchange of ideas is an integral part of the academic learning environment and relies on our treating one another in a respectful and considerate manner. 

Biological anthropology has a long and fraught history. It is important to acknowledge that much of the early work in this field was largely carried out by wealthy white men and thus there is significant bias in some of the early scientific knowledge. In many cases this knowledge came with a cost disproportionately borne by poor and marginalized populations and without the proper respect given to human remains. While this fact does not change the scientific importance of these discoveries, it is critical to acknowledge and understand the history of a field when undertaking its study. If you have questions about this, or any aspects of the history of biological anthropology, please ask me about it. By integrating a diverse set of experiences, we can come to a more comprehensive understanding of the world, allowing us to explore our assumptions and broaden our

interpretations of the material.

Participation in class discussions and activities is an important and valued part of learning. During such discussions all individuals are expected to treat each other with respect and kindness. Sometimes in course  discussions there are disagreements and while that is okay, it is critical that they are voiced in a manner that is respectful, constructive and not dismissive of others. Although I encourage participation and discussion in my classroom, it is important to emphasize that statements rooted in racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, or ageism will not be tolerated. If anything is said in the classroom that makes you uncomfortable (by a classmate or instructor, including myself) please come to me. All individuals possess biases (whether conscious or unconscious) and are thus vulnerable to their influence at times. In the event that this occurs, please listen and learn from the experiences and perspectives of those who differ from your own.

The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community.  The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:

• Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers and previewing quizzes/exams)
• Plagiarism (representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s))
• Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments)

Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication to the appropriate campus office. More information can be found online at www.washington.edu/studentconduct/

Any portion of these plans may be subject to change should we need to make adjustments during the quarter.  All changes will be noted in class and posted on Canvas.