ANAT SC 3101 - Anthropological and Forensic Anatomy III

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2016

The course information on this page is being finalised for 2016. Please check again before classes commence.

The objectives of this course are to appreciate the biological nature of humans and to appreciate the biological variability of humans. Our evolutionary origins are discussed as well as the place of humans in nature. Students will learn skills in anthropometric examination and in skeletal identification for forensic and archaeological purposes. Aspects of Biological Anthropology such as dental anthropology and paleopathology will also be presented. Students will be required to complete a research project and actively participate in seminars and discussion sessions. Lecture topics include: the place of humans in nature, hominid evolution and its mechanisms, recent human evolution and human evolutionary future, modern human biological variation, primatology, human population dynamics and ecology, human physical growth and development, osteology and forensic applications of anthropology. Research skills are learned in a problem based, self-directed mode.

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Course Details

Course Code	ANAT SC 3101
Course	Anthropological and Forensic Anatomy III
Coordinating Unit	Medical Sciences
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Assumed Knowledge	ANAT SC 2501 ANAT SC 2200 or equiv. approved by Course Coordinator or Head of Discipline
Restrictions	Available to B Health Sc & B Sc students only, or by permission of the Head of School or the Course Coordinator
Assessment	2 hour written exam 55%, research project: written component 40%, oral component 5%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Maciej Henneberg

Course Coordinator: Maciej Henneberg
Phone: + 61 8 8313 5479
Email: maciej.henneberg@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Room N107, Medical School North

Tutor: Teghan Lucas
Email: teghan.lucas@adelaide.edu.au
Location: Room N109, Medical School North

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Understand human biological variation: influence of genetic differences and environmental conditions on phenotypic characters of individuals and populations
2	Understand forces of evolution and their operation on humans: mutations, natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift
3	Describe basic knowledge of human origins
4	Use standard methods to measure and analyse human variation
5	Identify basic knowledge of microevolutionary changes of human anatomy and physiology in the last 5 thousand years
6	Understand the influence of socio-economic conditions on the physical development of children
7	Design and carry out a scientific investigation
8	Conduct an independent research project and to write a report of scientific investigation
9	Prepare and present a seminar on a specific topic
10	Engage in a meaningful, structured discussion of a specific case

University Graduate Attributes

No information currently available.

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Prescribed textbook

Relethford, J.H. (2007 or later edition) The Human Species: An Introduction to Biological Anthropology. Mayfield Publ. Co. California

Recommended readings

Oxenham M, ed (2008) Forensic Approaches to Death, Disaster and Abuse. Australian Academic Press, Bowen Hills, Qld.

Blau S, Ubelaker DH eds (2009) Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology. World Archaeological Congress. Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek, California

Recommended Resources

Students must be familiar with the Barr Smith Library and must be able to use the electronic databases to search for literature.

Online Learning

Lecture notes will be posted on MyUni, when a lecturer proveds these; however, it is not always the case that a guest lecturer will do so.

Th MyUni email facility will be used if a message needs to be relayed to the class in between sessions. Students must ensure that they read their university email address emails regularly.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course requires student-directed learning. That is, students must take responsibility in shaping the focus of their work, and in formulating arguments within that work. Lectures and practicals, with interactive discussion are principal learning and teaching modes. Since the course attempts to integrate knowledge of a number of disciplines, active student participation in lectures and practicals is required. Lectures will integrate knowledge already possessed by students with new approaches to its interpretation as well as to supplement knowledge where it is found to be missing.

Each student will conduct a research project and prepare a written and an oral presentation.

Thus, students who prefer didactic teaching and a regurgitation of facts will possibly find this course unsuitable. Students who do not enjoy questioning the existing knowledge should not take this course.

This course is interdisciplinary and the class may include students from different areas and also comprises materials delivered by lecturers from different disciplines. Wherever possible students will be encouraged to work with students from a different degree programme than their own.

This course encourages students to think, debate and challenge taken-for-granted ideas. Students who do not enjoy class participation and who do not like to play with ideas and express them with others, may not find this course suitable.

We treat students as adult learners and active participants in the course. Therefore, they are expected to take responsibility for their work and for what happens in discussions. Students’ views will be heard and where preferences for change are expressed, these will be considered and discussed. The assessment cannot change, but other details around the course can be accommodated and will be where possible. Where things cannot be changed, a respectful explanation will be given.

This course requires reflective learning. That is, students are required to think about how they are developing and how their ideas are changing – or not – as they hear, think, read, the course-related materials.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The face-to-face contact with the group is six hours per week. However, students are expected to spend about at least another four hours per week on researching and reading. In the past, some students have reported spending more than this amount of time on research and reading and writing. However, four hours would be the minimum time required.

Learning Activities Summary

Week	Topic/Practical	Lecture
Week 1	Anthropometry, Surface Anatomy, Somatotypology and Somatoscopy	History of anatomy and physical anthropology Applications of biological anthropology to forensics
Week 2	Anatomical variation and statistical methods for anthropometry. Dermatoglyphics	Biological variation Human biological variation and race
Week 3	Skeletal identification. Sexing and Aging. Skeletal variation and osteometry.	Skeletal identification Palaeopathology (skeletal signs of diseases and their interpretation)
Week 4	Dental Anthropology. Project Discussions	Dental anthropology. Mechanisms of human evolution: demography/population genetics
Week 5	Individual work on research projects	Mechanisms of human evolution: population genetics Mechanisms of human evolution: population genetics (continued)
Week 6	Individual work on research projects	Human ecosensitivity: factors influencing ontogeny (individual growth and development) Ongoing human evolution – today and tomorrow
Week 7	Mid-semester test	Forensic archaeology Bone chemistry and reconstruction of lifeways
Week 8	Individual work on research projects	Skeletal identification, a case study 1 Skeletal identification, a case study 2
Week 9	Individual work on research projects	Identification of persons from images Primate origins and the emergence of hominins
Week 10	Individual work on research projects	Plio-Pleistocene hominins The emergence of Homo sapiens
Week 11	Fossil record of early hominids & early humans	A forensic study of the Flores human (“the hobbit”) Role of a biological anthropologist in investigation of sexual offences
Week 12	Individual work on research projects	Identification – case studies The role of a forensic expert, court appearances
Week 13	Presenatations of student research projects	Presentations of student research projects

Small Group Discovery Experience

Students are expected to do their own, hands-on research project work as a part of the practicals. Students do not need to attend practicals designated as “Project Work”, but must carry out their research to the extent of at least 20 hours (5x4 hours). Students are free to choose their own topic of interest for those projects, provided that the topic fits into the overall theme of the course and that the project is feasible. Course staff will be available during scheduled practical times to provide advice to students carrying out their projects. Each project must end in a written document similar to a research journal article. At the last practical students will be expected to present their results in a form of short research conference presentation. This will be marked.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Assessment Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
Final examination	Summative	50%	1-10
Mid-Semester test	Summative and formative	10%	1, 2, 4
Research project	Summative and formative	35%	7-8
Research project presentation	Summative and formative	5%	9-10

Assessment Related Requirements

To sit the written examination students must attend all practicals and complete all elements of the assessment (the test and the project including both oral and written presentations).

Assessment Detail

Mid-tem test (1 hour) will comprise short answer questions aimed at testing the knowledge, especially that of methods specific for biological (physical) anthropology. An individual feedback will be provided to each student.

Formative feedback will be provided regarding the research project. Please note that seeking formative feedback is the student’s responsibility. As an adult learner, the student must take responsibility for asking specific questions about their work.

The final written examination will test both knowledge of necessary facts and techniques, and the ability to interpret human variation, its causes and applications.

Submission

All project reports must be written in a form of a manuscript of a scientific journal article and submitted by a specified deadline at the end of the semester. Late submissions of written projects will be penalised. However, please note that the course coordinator welcomes discussion about problems with the submission of work, and extensions can be provided where there are health or personal issues that mean this is necessary. Late work with no explanation prior to late submission will be penalised.
Early submissions of projects will be rewarded in the following way:
Each 24 hours earlier than the deadline adds 2% to the project mark. A student can accumulate up to 10% of such credit (if submitting 5 days earlier = 120 hours).

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator