Bi8610 Palaeoanthropology

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Synchronous online teaching
Teacher(s)
Arwa Kharobi, PhD (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Václav Vančata, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Václav Vančata, CSc.
Department of Anthropology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Václav Vančata, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Anthropology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is based on actual principles of hominine phylogenesis and taxonomy; it focuses on the process of anthropogenesis in changing environmental and social contexts. It describes the individual species, compares the anatomy of their skeleton, including dating, environment and cultural context.
Learning outcomes
At the end of course the student is expected to: explain hominine anatomic evolution; interpret territorial expansions of human populations in time and space; explain the process of adaptation to the newly settled environments. Specifically, the student should be able to describe morphology and behavior of the individual hominine taxons and name the key paleoanthropological sites in the world and in Czech Republic.
Syllabus
  • 1) Introduction - Paleoanthropology, history of paleoanthropology, development of the field and its dynamics, important personalities, goals of modern paleoanthropology 2) Methods of paleoanthropology and the evolution of methods, paleogenetics 3) Origin and evolution of the earliest primates and definition of primates as a whole 4) The earliest anthropoids and the origin of hominoids and the beginning of their evolution and diversification 5) Evolution of hominoids in the Miocene and the origin of hominids 6) Archaic hominins and the origin and evolution of bipedal hominins - australopithecines 7) The origin of the genus Homo and the evolution of early forms of the genus Homo and their possible ancestors 8) Evolution of archaic forms of Homo sapiens and the emergence of modern forms of Homo sapiens - anatomically modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans 9) Colonization of Europe - different stages - extinction of Neanderthals 10) Recolonization of Europe to the early Holocene 11) Colonization of the world by hominins and migration and colonization of the world by Homo sapiens
Literature
    required literature
  • Svoboda, J. 2014, 2017: Předkové. Evoluce člověka. Praha, Academia.
  • Šmahel, Z. 2005: Příběh lidského rodu. Brno, MZM.
  • Vančata, V. 2012: Paleoantropologie a evoluční antropologie. Praha, Pedagogická fakulta UK.
  • Wolpoff, M. 1999: Paleoanthropology. Boston, McGraw-Hill.
    recommended literature
  • Fridrich, J. 2005: Ecce Homo: Svět dávných lovců a sběračů. Praha, Krigl.
  • Mellars, P. et al. 2007: Rethinking the human revolution. Cambridge, McDonald Institute Monographs.
  • Stringer, Ch., Gamble, C. 1993: In search of the Neanderthals. London, Thames and Hudson.
  • Teschler-Nicola, M. (Ed.) 2006: Early modern humans at the Moravian Gate. The Mladeč caves and their remains. Wien, New York, Springer.
  • Henke, W., Tatterstall, I. (Eds.) 2007: Handbook of paleoanthropology. Berlin, Sprager Verlag.
  • Trinkaus, E., Svoboda, J., (Eds.) 2006: Early modern human evolution in Central Europe. The people of Dolní Věstonice and Pavlov. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
  • Velemínská, J., Brůžek, J., (Eds.) 2008: Early modern humans from Předmostí. Praha, Academia.
  • Vlček, E. 1969: Neandertaler der Tschechoslowakei. Praha, Academia.
Teaching methods
Theoretical preparation in form of online lectures complemented with class discussion.
Assessment methods
The course is concluded with a written test in MsTeam. To pass the exam successfully the student must attain minimum of 75 % from possible test points, which prove good knowledge of the issues discussed during lectures and in the required reading.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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