Human Variation

Anth 372

Spring 2018 Instructor: Dr. Sarah Reedy

M/W/F 9:05-9:55 email: sreedy@anthro.umass.edu
Machmer Hall, W-27 Office Hours: MW 11-1
Office: Thompson 26/28

“Anthropology is the science which tells us that people are the same the whole world over – except
when they are different” - Nancy Banks Smith

Course Goal:
In this class, we will focus on human phenotypic variation through an evolutionary and biocultural
lens. We will discuss and analyze how our genetics and environment (including our culture!) shape our
heritability and variation around the world. We will cover topics such as human evolutionary
adaptations to various environments, race as a biological fallacy, variation in growth, aging, sex, diet &
nutrition, as well as genetic disorders. The goal at the end of this course is for you to have a broadened
understanding of human variation, to critically analyze popular misconceptions about variation, and to
put human differences into perspective by learning from the past and present.

Course Requirements:
10% Attendance & Participation
15% 3 short answer Quizzes
20% 4 Assignments
25% “Difficult Friday” Group Presentation and Paper
30% Final Paper and Presentation
Attendance & Participation:
I expect everyone to come to class prepared, having read the material prior to class time. During
our discussions, you must discuss the material intelligently and critically. Ask thoughtful questions,
bring in your ideas and opinions, and connect the readings to our class lectures. We all have different
backgrounds, so our discussions have the potential to be interesting and meaningful. As part of your
prep for discussion, consider the following questions

1. How does the material relate to what we are discussing in class?

2. How do these relate to your life? To society? Who cares?
3. What questions do these raise for you? How could future researchers develop this
more?

Quizzes:
There will be three short-answer quizzes, taken in class, over the course of the semester.
Questions will be based on lectures, discussions, and readings.

Assignments:
You will turn in three one-page writing assignments and complete one lab activity for a total of
four assignments. The first writing assignment requires you to find a public article having to do with a
human variation topic and write a one-page summary and critique about it. The lab assignment is
based on Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and will be completed in class. The second writing assignment
will be a one-page proposal of the final paper option you choose and a “rough” plan of how you aim to
complete it. The third and final paper is a reflection on the “difficulty of discussing difficult topics.”
Due dates are in the schedule below.

Difficult Friday group presentations and paper:

Each Friday a group of three students will present and turn in a 3-page paper on a “Difficult
Topic” having to do with human variation. These topics are already chosen and listed on the next page.
This must include a presentation and one-page of the cultural story of this topic, a presentation and one-
page of the biological facts of this topic, and a summation and one-page of the reality – or how
biological and cultural factors work together – or how one side is right and the other is wrong. The
conclusion will be different for each topic. You must include at least 3 academic, peer-reviewed
references for this! The purpose of these is three-fold. The first is to learn the facts and the myths
associated with the various topics. The second is to learn how to critically think and intelligently,
thoughtfully, and respectfully discuss difficult topics. And finally, the third is to have fun in a
challenging assignment!

Final paper and presentations:

In lieu of a final exam, each of you will turn in an 8-10 page final paper and present it to the
class in a 5-minute presentation. You will pick one of the final paper options listed below. You must
use at least 5 different academic references, use APA referencing style (author, date), write in double-
spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, and include a bibliography but cite all references within the
paper. All topics must be chosen and discussed in class March 5th to avoid topics that are too similar, as
well as share ideas. The final paper will be due during finals week, date TBA, printed and handed into
my mailbox.
 Option 1: Pick a phenotypic trait that varies between populations or sexes and discuss it as an
evolutionarily adapted trait or a spandrel (one that is not adapted, but simply exists). Explain this trait,
the “just-so” story behind it and the most likely reason it persists.

Option 2: Choose one of the “Difficult Friday” topics you did not present to the class and take
it further. Explain the biological facts, the cultural stories or myths, and the reality of why the variation
occurs.

Option 3: What is the future of human variation and evolution? What will people look like?
How will different culture groups or sexes or genders be affected by future concerns – including
political, warfare, medical, and cultural impacts? Include ethics and moral obligations of the
geneticists, politicians, and medical professionals in your paper!

Option 4: Create a children's book about a human variation topic. Take a complicated matter
and simplify it so that a child could understand it. This is not an “easy” option, because you must
include real, factual information and write a separate 2-page paper describing the sources you found
and how they helped you write the book.

Etiquette
I expect everyone to behave responsibly and respectfully in this class. This means that you
should show up to class, every time, on-time, and ready to learn. When you are late, you distract
everyone. I will not tolerate the use of cell phones, Ipads, laptops, or any other technical device in this
class. When you are here, you should participate in the activities of the class, not drawing, talking to
your neighbor, reading materials unrelated to the course, etc. My workday ends at 5pm on M-F, so I
will not respond to emails after 5pm or on weekends. When you do email me, please type "Anth 312"
in the subject line, so I know it is from a student. My office hours are by appointment only, so if you
need to meet with me, you must let me know ahead of time. Please visit the following site for more
information student behavior expectations:
http://www.umass.edu.dean_students/codeofconduct/classroomcivility/

Late Work:
Course material cannot be made up and late assignments will not be taken unless there is an
excused absence. Excused absences include illnesses with a doctor’s note, death of a loved one, or
those that are pre-discussed and excused by me. I will not waiver on this!

Academic Honesty:
I strongly encourage you to talk to each other and help each other, but all assignments must be
completed by you and you alone. If I find that plagiarism (taking someone else’s words and passing
them off as your own) or cheating has occurred, then it will result in you failing the class. I invite
everyone to read the University’s guidelines on academic dishonesty (below).
http://www.umass.edu/dean_students/codeofconduct/acadhonesty/#A
Difficult Friday Topics:
You will pick (along with two other students) one topic to present and write about on the day it is
assigned.

1. Are men innately better at math and science than women?

2. Can modern genetic tests like “23 and Me”, give a clear picture of your ancestry or are they a
brilliant marketing scheme with statistical, and maybe even ethical, errors?

3. Indigenous Americans and obesity, diabetes, and alcoholism: Genetic or environmental?

4. Ethnic differences in response to pharmaceuticals: Should physicians pay attention to race when
prescribing medication? Should medicines be targeted at specific groups?

5. Is eye shape adapted to environmental conditions or is it a spandrel?

6. Diet: Do humans have a natural, evolved diet or is it based purely on cultural rules?

7. Athleticism: Are certain ethnic groups naturally better adapted for specific sports?

**At this point DFs will be one day ahead of the corresponding topic in class. **

8. Are humans naturally aggressive due to an evolved desire to be greedy and selfish? And more
specifically, are men more aggressive than women due to an evolved desire to provide and protect?

9. Do men want sex and women want relationships: Are human social structures (i.e. monogamy,
polygyny, polyandry, etc..) based on evolutionary adaptations or cultural rules?

10. Did non-binary gender identity and sexual orientation (which are two separate things!) evolve as a
social means of population control?
Schedule Monday Wednesday Friday
Week 1 01/22/18 01/24/18 01/26/18

Introductions to each other and Introduction to the science of Difficult Friday 1

the class Human Variation

Sign up for “Difficult Fridays” Read:

RMOL Preface
AND
Sex, Drugs, Disasters and the
Extinction of the Dinosaurs (Gould,
1984)
Week 2 01/29/18 01/31/18 02/02/18

Genetics and defining myths Mendelian Genetics DF 2

Read: Read:
RMOL Ch. 1 From Atoms to Traits (Kingsley,
2009)
Week 3 02/05/18 02/07/18 02/09/18

Watch in class: NOVA Cracking Plasticity and Epigenetics DF 3

your Genetic Code (~55 min)
Read:
Read: The Tall and the Short of it (Bogin,
RMOL Ch. 2 1998)
AND
Curse and Blessing of the Ghetto
(Diamond, 1991)
Week 4 02/12/18 02/14/18 02/16/18

Quiz 1 Population Genetics: DF 4

Microevolution and Hardy-
Public Article assignment due Weinberg

Read:
RMOL Ch. 3
AND
Tracing Evolution's Recent
Fingerprints (Gibbons, 2010)
Week 5 02/19/18 02/21/18 02/23/18

Holiday – no class The Forces of Evolution and DF 5

Macroevolution

Read:
The Spandrels of San Marco (Gould
and Lewontin, 1979)
Week 6 02/26/18 02/28/18 03/02/18

Hardy-Weinberg activity and Human migrations out of Africa and DF 6

assignment, bring a calculator modern adaptations
to class.
Read:
RMOL Prelude
AND
Skin Deep (Jablonski and Chaplin,
2002)
Week 7 03/05/18 03/07/18 03/09/18

Skin color evolution and Race Epidemiological Transition (tb, drug DF 7

resistance)
Read:
RMOL Ch. 4 Read:
AND RMOL Ch. 4 cont.
Watch: Unnatural causes – AND
breaking the bough How Race Becomes Biology
(Gravlee, 2009)
Week 8 03/12/18 03/14/18 03/16/18

Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break

Week 9 03/19/18 03/21/18 03/23/18

Modern variation between Quiz 2 DF 8 (Disclaimer: topics of DFs

groups, what's real and what's are now a week ahead!)
myth? Proposal and plan for final paper
due
Read:
The Saltshaker's Curse
(Diamond, 1991)
Week 10 03/26/18 03/28/18 03/30/18

Hunting, aggression, and What about altruism and DF 9

selfishness selflessness?
Watch in class: Intro of 2001
Space Odyssey Read:
Bias in the Story of Human
Read: Evolution (Ch. 3 of Human
RMOL Ch. 5 Evolution and Male Aggression,
AND Dagg and Harding, 2012)
On the Osteodontokeratic Culture AND
of the Australopithecinae (Dart, Listen to: Radiolab The Good Show
1971) Podcast
(~64 min)
Week 11 04/02/18 04/04/18 04/06/18

Evolution and Growth of Human Human Social/Sexual variation DF 10

Sexual Dimorphism (monogamy, polygyny, partible
paternity, etc...)
Read:
RMOL Ch. 6 Read:
AND RMOL Ch. 6 cont.
How Sexually Dimorphic Are AND
We? (Blackless et al., 2000) Watch: Are We Designed to be
Sexual Omnivores (~14 min)
Week 12 04/09/18 04/11/18 04/13/18

Reproductive success and No class, I will be away at the No class, still at AAPAs, use this
homosexuality AAPA conference. During class time to work on your final
time, you will respond to papers.
Read:
discussion questions posted on
The Evolutionary Puzzle of
Moodle, and respond to at least two
Homosexuality (Kremer, 2014)
other peers.
AND
The Trouble with T (Karkazis
and Young, 2014) New York
Times
Week 13 04/16/18 04/18/18 04/20/18

Holiday, no class. Tuesday is a
Monday however, I teach at
another university – so we have
the day off. Use this time to
work on your final papers.
Week 14 04/23/18
The future of human variation One-page writing assignment
due: Difficulty in discussing
Read: difficult topics.
RMOL Ch. 7
AND
What Will Become of Homo
sapiens? (Ward, 2009)
04/25/18 04/27/18

Quiz 3 Student Presentations Student Presentations

Final Paper work day, come

prepared to work.
Week 15 04/30/18

Last Day!

Student Presentations

Course evaluations, bring your

device

Final Papers due during finals

week, TBA