Biological Anthropology: An Evolutionary Perspective

By: Barbara J. King

Narrated by: Barbara J. King

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Who are we? It's a question humankind has been asking about itself for a long time.

But when we consider ourselves not as static beings fixed in time, but as ever-changing creatures, our viewpoint of human history becomes much more captivating. The question is no longer "Who are we?" but "What have we become? And what are we becoming?

"What makes this new viewpoint possible is the evolutionary perspective offered by biological anthropology, through which we study the evolution, genetics, anatomy, and modern variation of the human species. In this series of 24 captivating lectures, an award-winning teacher and acclaimed scholar delves into the story of how, why, where, and when we became human.

You'll gain a fresh understanding of the forces that have shaped our species, as Professor King synthesizes the best that more than a century of scientific scholarship has to offer across a variety of disciplines, including primate anatomy and behavior - to understand evolution and to learn more about our common ancestor - and molecular anthropology, to gain the insights offered by fossils, ancient skeletal remains, and lifestyle information like cave art and stone tools.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2002 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2002 The Great Courses

Anthro-tastic!

Your understanding of biological anthropology will undergo speculation and evolve to a higher state of progress

Very Well told, extremely interesting subject

This course is somewhat dated, and it would be awesome if the great courses would make a new version of this. That said, it's an awesome lecture series, that goes into both similarities between primates (and other apes) and humans, what archeology can tell us about our past, and also what modern research can tell us about the influence of genes.. There's so much, it's hard to even sum up. An amazing lecture, I'd recommend any day

I'm at a Lose for Words. This was Amazing

It is presented as an entry level lecture series but the professor does a great job at keeping it fresh. She is level-headed about controversial subjects and handles them without letting her bias affect the information being provided.
The information is clear and precise. Everything presented has something to do with the lecture and how it affects our knowledge and understanding of the subject. I really wish this had been longer.

It does seem to be a little dated though. Could use a new addition but it needs to include Professor Barbara King.

Excellent narrator, outdated material.

Barbara J. King does a wonderful job, but the course is 20 years old.

Like Taking Intro to Biological Anthropology

I found this to be a nice summation of what you would end up, or at least should end up, getting out of an introductory class to biological evolution. It is also a nice source to refresh yourselves on some of the terms and major points of evolution in respect to biological anthropology. If you have any interest in the subject, it is worth the credit.

Evolution vs Faith

At 1:06:30

"One reason why the skepticism [of evolution by Creationists] may exist in the United States. Is that there seems to be a feeling that it is necessary to somehow choose between believing in evolution and believing in God. Between evolution and having a religious faith."

"Quite often if we read books or articles or tune into talk shows or look at the Internet this situation is presented in this polarized, dichotomized way. You can believe in God or you can believe in evolution, but you've got to choose."

"Well, biological anthropologists and other scientists make a different type of statement and have a different type of understanding. What we suggest is that it is quite possible for religious faith and belief in evolution to co-occur, to coexist. Of course, one may choose between them, and certain religions may force a choice. But in many cases, religious faith is compatible with belief in evolution. In other words, I-- myself-- know many individuals who believe in God and believe in evolution at one and the same time."

This assertion is simply untrue and only supported with her anecdotal opinion. The Pew Center has studies that show that the majority of general scientists (59%) don't believe in God. This percentage increases dramatically when discussing specific material claims of the large U.S. religions (virgin birth, resurrection, etc.). This percentage also increases dramatically when narrowing the scientists to fields such as anthropology or those closely related to Ms King's. There are no widely practiced religions that have a creation story that can be called compatible with evolution. There are certainly some people who place their God earlier in time than the information we've gathered and find a way to vaguely define their relationship with that God as transiting the material to non-material boundary (that they invent.) But this isn't the typical religious belief system.

The contradictions between evolution and faith aren't "presented" in a polarized way. They are by definition diametrically opposed. Every bit of evolutionary theory that is generally accepted among experts is the result of scientific study, and under continuous challenge, revision and refinement. Every bit of popular religious ideology is premised on one book, written decades after the events that it describes and an insistence that "belief without evidence" is sufficient to gird up its obvious subjectivity and inconsistencies. Evolution is based on the concept that simple systems of force and composition can agglomerate to produce new levels of composability. (Because if you believe in evolution, you believe in cells, and if you believe in cells, then you believe in DNA, and if you believe in DNA, then you believe in proteins, and compounds, and molecules, and covalence and atoms and particles.) Religion is based on the concept that the only reason why we exist is because someone (who just happens to be awesome, omnipotent and omnipresent) made little itty bitty versions of himself on one planet, in one solar system, around one of 100 billion stars, within one of 100 billion galaxies. Just the contrast between the quality of thought practiced in science and that which is practiced in religion demonstrates an extraordinary distance between cogency and puerility. No, there's no coexistence between the two belief systems of evidentiary rationalism and fanciful idolatry.

A great course on a fascinating subject.

A very well structured course on a fascinating topic, brilliantly presented by an educator passionate about her subject.
I really enjoyed the delivery - down to earth illustrative examples with a warm, human touch.
It’s now in my top handful of courses that I’ll revisit in the future.

Great overview!

King is a great teacher - clear, organized, knowledgeable, and down to earth in approach.

outdated.

lots of outdated information. the last 20+ years have settled many of the debates alluded to giving rise to new debates. This is a good start and gave me a lot of insight into the behavioral aspect of Biological anthropology that I wasn't aware of, but the information about fossils and genetics was outdated.

too old - much has happened since

A great introduction, but this was published in 2002. SO much has happened since. Outdated.