Overall objectives:

1 - Students will understand the lines of scientific evidence that support evolution and the process of natural selection
2 - Describe how primates have evolved and how humans fit into this phylogeny
3 - Be able to understand the biological nature of human behaviour and how evolution moulds it
4 - Be able to distinguish ultimate evolutionary reasons from proximate causality
5 - Be able to express themselves in an adequate area-specific scientific language
6 - Understand concepts of scientific evidence and falsifiability
7 - Be able to think in evolutionary terms bridging various generations using relative frequencies

Syllabus:

1 - Evolution
1.1 - Origins
1.2 - Darwin, evolution & natural selection
1.3 - Neo-Darwinism & the Synthetic theory
1.4 - Coevolution, speciation
1.5 - Individual vs. group selection
2 - Anthropology: Phylogenies & Human evolution
2.1 - The primates & their phylogeny
2.2 - Hominidae & Australopithecinae
2.3 - Homininae & the genus Homo
2.4 - Origin & diversification of the modern man
3 - Survival
3.1 - Foraging: food intake & ingestion
3.2 - Where to live: environmental preferences
3.3 - Threats: predation and other threats
4 - Evolution, Ontogeny & Selection Sexual
4.1 - Evolution of sexual reproduction
4.2 - Reproductive parameters & phenotypic variability
4.3 - Sexual selection & conflict
5 - Reproductive effort & investment
5.1 - Parental effort
5.2 - The costs of reproduction
5.3 - Mating systems
5.4 - Parental investment
6 - Social Life: Altruism & Kin selection
6.1 - Kin selection: Fitness & inclusive fitness
6.2 - Altruism, reciprocity & cooperation
6.3 - Cooperation on a large scale

Literature/Sources:

Ayala, F.J. & Cela Conde, C.J. , 2017 , Processes in human evolution: the journey from early hominins to Neanderthals and modern humans , Oxford University Press
Davies, N.B., Krebs, J.R. & West, S.A. , 2012 , An introduction to behavioural ecology , Wiley-Blackwell
Buss, D.M. , 2016 , The handbook of evolutionary psychology Vols.1 & 2 , John Wiley & Sons
Losos, J.B., Baum, D.A., Futuyma, D.J., Hoekstra, H.E., Lenski, R.E., Moore, A.J., Peichel, C.L., Schluter, D. & Whitlock, M. , 2014 , The Princeton guide to evolution , Princeton University Press
Muehlenbein, M.P. , 2015 , Basics in Human Evolution , Elsevier
Roberts, S.C. , 2012 , Applied evolutionary psychology , Oxford University Press
Workman, L. & Reader, W. , 2014 , Evolutionary psychology: an introduction , Cambridge University Press
Buss, D.M. , 2019 , Evolutionary psychology: the new science of the mind (6th ed.) , Routledge
Roberts, A.M. , 2018 , Evolution: the human story (rev. ed.) , Dorling Kindersley
Tibayrenc, M. & Ayala, F.J. , 2017 , On human nature: biology, psychology, ethics, politics, and religion , Academic Press

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
The course includes theoretical lessons (lectures) (T) which are predominantly expository, theoretical-practicals (TP) where students are taught to find relevant peer-reviewed articles, seminars (S) presented by the students as a base for group discussions, and fieldwork (TC) where students use interviews and questionnaires on concepts and themes of the course. Assessment: two tests (which each contribute 30% to the UC classification) and which can be recovered during the resource / special period, a seminar (which contributes 15% to the UC classification) and a final work (which contributes 25% to the UC classification).