Students in the Biological Anthropology concentration study humanity from a biological and evolutionary perspective. Two broad themes exist within our department. The first emphasizes evolutionary theory and morphological transformations, and the second is concerned with adaptations that are the product of the interaction between human biology and culture. Current faculty research and teaching address these themes through various foci including 1) examining how extinct humans interacted with their environment by researching their feeding behaviors, biology, special temporal distribution and palaeoecological patterning, 2) examining how the biology and stress impact health outcomes in living populations, and 3) examining how skeletal anatomy can be used to reconstruct past and living populations and individuals including within forensic contexts.
With a concentration in biological anthropology our students acquire theoretical and foundational knowledge in the classroom. They also acquire practical skills via experiential learning through lab work and our Paleontology Field School in Wyoming, and can earn a minor in Forensic Anthropology. Transferable skills include scientific research design and analysis, laboratory techniques and forensic analysis, conducting paleontological survey and analysis, critical thinking and communication, and statistical analysis and ability to synthesize complex information.
Our biological anthropology faculty research and teach courses that explore human evolution, biology, and anatomy with expertise in the following areas:
- Evolutionary theory
- Biocultural anthropology
- Dental anthropology
- Early hominin feeding ecology
- Forensic anthropology
- Human skeletal biology and analysis
- Neanderthal paleobiology and paleobiogeography
- Plio-Pleistocene Africa
- Pleistocene Asia
- Primate origins, biology, and locomotion
- Reproductive health and biology
- Taphonomy
Faculty also provide many opportunities to work in labs and researcher centers including: the Bone Lab, the Zooarchaeology Lab, the Human Osteology Lab, the 3-D Imaging and Analysis lab, the Center for Paleoanthropological Research, and the Primate Origins Lab. The biological anthropology program sponsors an annual paleontology field school each summer in Wyoming. Existing faculty also have geographic foci significant to their research. Research areas include the United States, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Careers in Biological Anthropology
The graduate in biological anthropology has skills in data analysis, critical thinking, writing, and oral presentations. Graduates pursue careers in health and medicine, criminal investigation, sports medicine, biology and science education, zoology, genetics, conservation biology, and museum curation. Common career paths for individuals who earn a degree in biological anthropology include:
- Museum curators, technicians, and collection managers
- Primatologist
- Cultural resource manager
- Archivists
- Forensic scientists and technicians
- Coroner and medical examiner
- Technical writer
- Human resources
- Applied anthropometry
- Zoo collection management & captive breeding programs
- National Park Ranger
- Public health specialist and community health worker
Effective Fall 2024
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUCC | Credits | ||
| ANTH 100 | Introductory Cultural Anthropology (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| ANTH 101 | Practicing Anthropology | 1 | |
| ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | 3A | 3 |
| ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 3A | 1 |
| ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | 3D | 3 |
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
| 1B | 1B | 3 | |
| Electives | 13 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| ANTH 274 | Human Diversity (GT-SC2) | 3A | 3 |
| GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 |
| Select one statistics course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Quantifying Anthropology | |||
| Working With Data | |||
| The Power of Numbers--Statistics in Sociology | |||
| Applications of Quantitative Research | |||
| Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods | |||
| Introduction to Biostatistics | |||
| 1C | 1C | 3 | |
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 6 | |
| Electives | 12 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Junior | |||
| ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | 4B | 3 |
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in archaeology from the following not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
| Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies | |||
| Study Abroad--England: Hadrian's Wall | |||
| Archaeology of North America | |||
| Geoarchaeology | |||
| Archaeology of Rock Art | |||
| Race/Ethnicity in the Ancient Mediterranean | |||
| Archaeology of the Ancient Nile | |||
| Archaeology of Ancient Roman Food | |||
| Study Abroad--Pompeii in Italy: Life and Death of a Roman City | |||
| Archaeologies of Graffiti | |||
| Colorado Prehistory | |||
| Archaeological Investigation | |||
| Digital Digging--Geophysics in Archaeology | |||
| Andean Archaeology and Ethnohistory | |||
| Archaeology of Mesoamerica | |||
| Impacts on Ancient Environments | |||
| Anthropological Perspectives on Food | |||
| Great Plains Archaeology | |||
| Archaeology and the Public | |||
| Lithic Technology | |||
| Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management | |||
| Gods, Heroes, Stones--Greek Archaeology | |||
| Field Class in Archaeology | |||
| Anthropological Report Preparation | |||
| Anthropology Curation and Exhibition Methods | |||
| Zooarchaeology | |||
| Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | |||
| The Archaeology of Time | |||
| Heritage Resource Management | |||
| Seminar: Archaeology | |||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in cultural anthropology from the following not taken in another category: | 3 | ||
| Anthropology of the Arts | |||
| Soundscapes-Music as Human Practice | 3C | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Africa | |||
| Modern Indian Culture and Society | |||
| Modernization and Development | |||
| Southeast Asian Cultures and Societies | |||
| Global Mobilities–The African Diaspora | |||
| Anthropology of Human Rights | |||
| Beer, Brewing, and Culture | 4A | ||
| The Anthropology of Religion | |||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction | |||
| Narrative Traditions and Social Experience | |||
| Language and Culture | |||
| Art and Culture | |||
| Gender and Anthropology | |||
| Medical Anthropology | |||
| Applied Medical Anthropology | |||
| Psychological Anthropology Laboratory | |||
| Public Anthropology and Global Challenges | |||
| Indians of North America | |||
| Indigenous Peoples Today | |||
| Development in Indian Country | |||
| Indigenous Ecologies and the Modern World | |||
| Gender, Culture, and Health | |||
| Indigenous Environmental Stewardship | |||
| Cultural Psychiatry | |||
| Theory in Cultural Anthropology | |||
| Method in Cultural Anthropology | |||
| Ethnographic Field School | |||
| Ethnographic Field Methods | |||
| Cultures of Virtual Worlds–Research Methods | |||
| Psychological Anthropology | |||
| International Development Theory and Practice | |||
| Complete a minimum of 6 credits in biological anthropology electives from the following not taken in another category: | 6 | ||
| Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | |||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Quantifying Anthropology | |||
| Primates | 4A | ||
| Growing Up Primate | |||
| Human Osteology | |||
| Human Evolution | 4A | ||
| Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
| Anthropology Perspectives-Evolution, Society | |||
| Bipedal Apes | |||
| Evolutionary Medicine and Human Health | |||
| Zooarchaeology | |||
| Paleontology Field School | |||
| Human Biology | 4A | ||
| The Neandertals | 4A | ||
| Human Skeleton Analysis | |||
| Methods of Analysis in Paleoanthropology | |||
| Seminar: Biological Anthropology | |||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in geography (GR subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||
| Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |
| Electives | 9 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Students must take ANTH 493 concurrently with one of the courses listed in the selection below it: | |||
| ANTH 4931 | Capstone Seminar | 4C | 1 |
| Select one AUCC 4A biological anthropology course from the following not taken in another semester or category:1 | 3 | ||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Primates | 4A | ||
| Human Evolution | 4A | ||
| Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
| Human Biology | 4A | ||
| The Neandertals | 4A | ||
| Select 12 credits from one of the following options not taken in another category: | 12 | ||
| General Biological Anthropology Option | |||
| Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | |||
| Human Ecology | 4A | ||
| Primates | 4A | ||
| Growing Up Primate | |||
| Human Osteology | |||
| Human Evolution | 4A | ||
| Human Biological Variation | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Primate Behavior | 4A | ||
| Evolution of Human Adaptation | 4A | ||
| Anthropology Perspectives-Evolution, Society | |||
| Bipedal Apes | |||
| Evolutionary Medicine and Human Health | |||
| Zooarchaeology | |||
| Paleontology Field School | |||
| Human Biology | 4A | ||
| The Neandertals | 4A | ||
| Human Skeleton Analysis | |||
| Methods of Analysis in Paleoanthropology | |||
| Seminar: Biological Anthropology | |||
| Forensic Anthropology Option – complete all courses below | |||
| Introduction to Forensic Anthropology | |||
| Primates | 4A | ||
| Human Osteology | |||
| Zooarchaeology | |||
| Human Skeleton Analysis | |||
| Electives2 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | ||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||
- 1
Capstone topic must focus on biological anthropology. ANTH 493 must be taken concurrently with one of the AUCC 4A biological anthropology courses listed with ANTH 493 in the senior year. Using Competencies (AUCC 4A) must be taken concurrently with ANTH 493. Courses approved for AUCC category 4A taken in the sophomore, junior, or senior year and not concurrently with ANTH 493 and not included in the approved list in the program will not count toward completion of the 4A requirement for this major. Students taking Senior Honors Thesis (HONR 499, 3 credits) are also required to register for ANTH 493 (1 credit).
- 2
Select enough elective credits to bring program total to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 100 | Introductory Cultural Anthropology (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
| ANTH 101 | Practicing Anthropology | X | 1 | ||
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
| 1B | X | 1B | 3 | ||
| Electives | X | 5 | |||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 120 | Human Origins and Variation (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | 3 | |
| ANTH 121 | Human Origins and Variation Laboratory (GT-SC1) | X | 3A | 1 | |
| ANTH 140 | Introduction to Archaeology (GT-HI1) | X | 3D | 3 | |
| Electives | 8 | ||||
| AUCC 1B and CO 150 must be completed by the end of Semester 2. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 274 | Human Diversity (GT-SC2) | X | 3A | 3 | |
| GR 100 | Introduction to Geography (GT-SS2) | 3C | 3 | ||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 6 | |||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| Select one of the following statistics courses (see list on concentration requirements tab) | 3 | ||||
| 1C | X | 1C | 3 | ||
| Electives | 9 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in archaeology not taken in another category (See List on Concentration Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
| Complete a minimum of 6 credits in biological anthropology not taken in another category (See List on Concentration Requirements Tab) | 6 | ||||
| Advanced Writing | 2 | 3 | |||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 400/GR 400 | History of Theory-Anthropology and Geography | X | 4B | 3 | |
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in cultural anthropology not taken in another category (See List on Concentration Requirements Tab) | 3 | ||||
| Complete a minimum of 3 credits in geography (GR subject code) not taken in another category | 3 | ||||
| Electives | 6 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| ANTH 493 | Capstone Seminar | X | 4C | 1 | |
| AUCC 4A: Select one biological anthropology course not taken elsewhere from the AUCC 4A List on the Concentration Requirements Tab | X | 4A | 3 | ||
| Select 6 credits from one of the available options (See List on Concentration Requirements Tab) | 6 | ||||
| Elective | 5 | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| Select 6 credits from one of the available options (See List on Concentration Requirements Tab) | X | 6 | |||
| Electives | X | 9 | |||
| The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||||