Current Courses

Anth 1050: Evolution of Human Nature

Our brains, like the rest of our bodies, were shaped by natural selection. But how much does this matter? Many social scientists would argue that it matters very little, since human behavior is transmitted culturally rather than genetically. This course will entertain a different hypothesis. It will seek to explain human nature---our desires and preferences, our virtues and faults, our similarities and differences---using the theory of evolution. Students are encouraged to be skeptical. After all, rational skepticism is the business of science.

Anth5221/Biol5221: Human Evolutionary Genetics

An introduction to the theory and data of evolutionary genetics. It is about how populations respond to evolution, and also about how evolutionary history can be reconstructed from our genes.

Anth5471/Biol5471: Fundamental Methods of Evolutionary Ecology

An introduction to the method and theory of evolutionary ecology for undergraduate students and beginning grads. The course will make extensive use of Maple, a computer program that simplifies equations, solves them, and plots the results.

Anth 6200: ProSeminar II: History of Biological Anthropology

Anth 6498: Evolutionary Anthropology Journal Club

Old Courses

Anth 636: Preparing Grant Proposals

Biol 5410: Molecular Evolution

How biologists go about making sense of genetic differences between species. Team-taught with Jon Seger (Dept of Biology) and Glenn Herrick (Dept of Biochemistry).