Origin and Evolution of Modern Man and Language

Year
1

Academic year
2017-2018

Code
02004836

Subject Area
Biology

Language of Instruction
Portuguese

Other Languages of Instruction
English

Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face

Duration
SEMESTRIAL

ECTS Credits
6.0

Type
Elective

Level
2nd Cycle Studies - Mestrado

Recommended Prerequisites

Paleoanthropology and First Hominins and the genus Homo.

Theoretical classes

Practical classes with the fóssil casts

Discussion of recent cases

Discussion of some scientific articles.

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.

Eugénia Maria Guedes Pinto Antunes da Cunha

Assessment
Mini Tests: 30.0%
Synthesis work: 70.0%

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