Undergraduate and graduate courses

EvAnth 212FS, Social Structures in an Evolutionary Framework

Social behavior and social structure are products of the evolutionary process; however, social interactions and societal decisions can also act to shape evolutionary trajectories. This reciprocal relationship is particularly relevant for highly social species like humans and our nonhuman primate relatives. In this course, we explore the intersection between social structure, social behavior, and evolution, with special attention to how evolutionary perspectives shed light on topics of interest in the social sciences. EvAnth 212FS is taught as part of the Duke FOCUS program in Modeling in the Economic and Social Sciences (MESS).

EvAnth 310, Primate Evolutionary Genetics

Primate evolutionary genetics uses genetic variation within species and genetic differences between species to gain insight into primate evolution in the past and in the present-day. The fundamental principles of primate evolutionary genetics are not unique to primates, and many of the tools, insights, and theory used to study primate genetics are generalizable across species. However, evolutionary genetic studies of primates often focus on questions that have special resonance for the primate order. In this course, we will cover current topics in primate evolutionary genetic research, focusing on the use and interpretation of molecular data for understanding primate evolutionary history.

EvAnth 510SL, Molecular Anthropology in Practice

Molecular anthropology seeks to understand primate evolution through the lens of genetics and genomics. Research in molecular anthropology is rapidly advancing due to the fast-paced development of new tools and approaches in genomics. This course will provide a hands-on introduction to research in molecular anthropology and primate genomics, with the goal of learning to use and interpret molecular data to understand primate evolution. In addition to focusing on questions in these areas, we will also cover the culture of research and collaboration in the natural sciences and the process of scientific writing and revision. We will use real data sets (unpublished or derived from the published literature) to formulate a novel hypothesis, and test that hypothesis throughout the course of the semester as a collaborative team.

EvAnth 702S, Concepts in Evolutionary Anthropology

This course is one of a two semester series for Evolutionary Anthropology graduate students. Its goals are threefold: 1) to provide a broad introduction to major concepts in evolutionary anthropology, including current research; 2) to introduce and encourage interaction with faculty in EvAnth and related fields; 3) to familiarize students with research facilities and resources available on campus.