Introduction to Biological Anthropology This course will provide an overview of the field of physical anthropology. The topics to be addressed include the mechanisms of genetics and evolution, human variability and adaptation, our primate relatives and fossil ancestors (hominins), as well as bioarchaeology. Through a combination of lectures and discussions, we will explore human origins and the overall development of the species through time. Likewise, we will look at how language, art, and religion emerge as well as the interplay between environment and biology in human evolution. The course finishes by examining contemporary issues in human biodiversity, from molecular genetics and biotechnology to problematic categories like race, gender, and sexuality.

Skull Wars: Sordid True Tales of Rapacity, Revenge, and Racism in the Search for Human Origins Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. Richard Leakey and Don Johanson. Lee Berger and Tim White. In this course we will examine how jealousy, competition, and racism drive knowledge production and sabotage in the hunt for human ancestors. We’ll do so by exploring how these personalities, and others, have leveraged the media, from the New York Times to National Geographic, to push forward their vision and status in science. Through scientific articles, popular books, and film, we will also explore how settler colonialism and racism have plagued, and continue to plague, the science of paleoanthropology. 3 hrs. Sem

Kyle Brudvik

Reviews and ratings for Kyle Brudvik at Middlebury College.Kyle Brudvik teaches Intro Biological Anthropology, Skull Wars and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Kyle Brudvik good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This class was awesome. By far the most chill class I have ever taken at Middlebury. We mostly watched gorilla videos and looked at skulls, and there was only one (two page) assignment the entire semester. Kyle also organized engaging “field studies” for our class, which consisted of us scavenging for bones or smashing rocks together.