Human Origins

Overview

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This course is part of Global Freshman Academy (GFA), which means you can earn transferable ASU credit toward your college degree.

This course will guide you through an exploration of the scientific evidence for the evolution of humans and our fossil relatives and humankind’s place in the natural world. It includes an introduction to evolutionary theory, an overview of the hominin fossil record and what that record teaches us about our place in nature. Dr. Donald Johanson, a world-renowned paleoanthropologist who found the skeleton known as Lucy, will present an exciting in-depth exploration of paleoanthropological field research from his unique perspective.

This course satisfies the Social-behavioral sciences (SB) general studies requirement at Arizona State University. This course may satisfy a general education requirement at other institutions; however, it is strongly encouraged that you consult with your institution of choice to determine how these credits will be applied to their degree requirements prior to transferring the credit.

Syllabus

Click to view the complete course syllabus here.

Taught by

Dr. Donald C. Johanson

Reviews

4.7 rating, based on 6 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Human Origins

Valorie Hamachek

Absolutely fascinating course. The Professor is highly qualified to teach - he discovered Lucy! The lectures flow nicely and I came away with a very good understanding about evolution.
Kristina Šekrst

This is one of the best MOOCs on the internet. The discoverer of Lucy - doctor Donald Johanson - delivers a lecture on human evolution, our primate ancestors, higher primates, and finally Homo, in a great teaching style. You'll feel as if you were i…

This is one of the best MOOCs on the internet. The discoverer of Lucy - doctor Donald Johanson - delivers a lecture on human evolution, our primate ancestors, higher primates, and finally Homo, in a great teaching style. You'll feel as if you were in a fun documentary, rather than learning facts. The course is a perfect blend of factual knowledge, anecdotes, reading materials, videos and manifestations of real fossils. The quality of video materials is excellent, and the discussion forums are great as well. Professor Johanson had a live session in which he answered student's questions as well, and it was an amazing experience.

To continue, you'll learn about paleoanthropological issues, learn to distinguish between various primates, higher primates, and hominins. I've taken this course out of curiosity, and it changed my life for the better: darn, now I want to be a paleoanthropologist! So, if this course has managed to make me a crazy lunatic babbling all day long about Homo heidelbergensis, it should do that to you. The next run is in March 2016, be sure not to miss it. This is a true, true gem.
Anonymous

I have always had an interest in paleoanthropology but because my science knowledge is very weak I have often shied away from delving deeper into it. This course was a wonderful springboard, offering a gentle introduction to the scientific nomenclature and theories within the field. I found it challenging but fascinating.
Matthew Philip
Ramon Füglister
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