This chapter focuses on the long-term perspective of evolutionary theory (macroevolution) and the fossil record. The first part of the chapter covers speciation and other macroevolutionary patterns. The second part of the chapter deals with popular misconceptions about the evolutionary process. I find it useful to deal with these early in the course because they are part of the baggage that students bring into the class, and often still hold onto even at the end of the semester unless specifically addressed. The third part of the chapter provides a brief review of methods of analyzing the fossil record, focusing on dating methods. The chapter concludes with a very brief review of the major changes in vertebrate and mammalian evolution prior to the origin of primates (covered in the next chapter).
1. You should be aware of the difficulties in defining humans as a unique species, and the usefulness of comparison between humans and other species. |
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2. You should know how humans are characterized by virtue of their distribution, brain size and structure, mode of locomotion, teeth, reproduction, and social structure. |
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3. You should know the major stages of the human life cycle, and the evolutionary explanations for these stages. |
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4. You should know the main differences between humans and apes, and the extent to which "human" traits such as tool use and manufacture and language have been observed in other apes. |
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5. You should be familiar with the debate about whether chimpanzees have culture. |
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6. You should understand the debate over co-sleeping with infants and what role evolution and culture play in this practice. |