Origin and Evolution of Modern Man and Language

Year
1

Academic year
2019-2020

Code
03003022

Subject Area
Biological Anthropology

Language of Instruction
Portuguese

Other Languages of Instruction
English

Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face

Duration
SEMESTRIAL

ECTS Credits
6.0

Type
Elective

Level
3rd Cycle Studies

Recommended Prerequisites

Paleoanthropology and First Hominins and the genus Homo.

Theoretical classes.

Practical classes with the fossil casts.

This unit aims to provide the knowledge on the last phases of human evolution, namely the emergence and evolution of modern humans and language.

Homo erectus and the first out of Africa

Hominins from Asia and Africa from Middle Pleistocene.

Origin of moder humans: the different models

Genetics and recent human evolution.

A technological perspective of Homo evolution

The evolution of human diversity.

The colonization of Australia and of the New World

The Portuguese case

Introduction to brain evolution

Forms of communication in Primates.

Human language

Testimonies of language evolution

Paleoneurology

Cláudia Isabel Soares Umbelino

Assessment
Discussion of recent cases, Discussion of some scientific articles: 100.0%

Cunha,E. 2010. Como nos tornámos humanos. Coimbra. Imprensa da Universidade.

Mithen,S.1996. The Prehistory of mind. The cognitive origins of art and science. Thames and Hudson.

Deacon,T. 1997. The symbolic species. The co-evolution of language and the human brain. Allen Lane.

Jablonski,N.; Aiello,L. (ed). 1998. The origin and diversification of language. University of California Press.

Tattersall, I. 1998. Becoming human. Evolution and human uniqueness. NY. Harcourt Brace & Company