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The human fossil record from the first non-human primates in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene, 80-65 million years ago, to the anatomically modern people in the late Pleistocene, between 100,000 to 50,000 B.C.E. Emphasis is on broad evolutionary trends and the natural selective forces behind them.

For upper division undergraduates. The extent and pattern of variation among human genomes, the origin of these patterns in human evolution, and the social and medical impact of recent discoveries. Topics include: the Human Genome Project; human origins; ancient DNA; genetic, behavioral, linguistic, cultural, and racial diversity; the role of disease in shaping genetic diversity; DNA forensics; genes and reproductive technology.

Study of the human skeleton (a. k. a. human osteology), as it bears on other disciplines, including medicine, forensics, archaeology, and paleoanthropology (human evolution). Basic bone biology, anatomy, and development, emphasizing hands-on examination and identification of human skeletal parts, their implications for determining an individual¿s age, sex, geographic origin, and health status, and for the evolutionary history of our species. Three hours of lecture and at least three hours of supervised and independent study in the lab each week.

The state of a changing world ocean, particularly in the eastern Pacific, will be examined through historical and contemporary fiction, non-fiction and scientific publications. Issues will include harvest and mariculture fisheries, land-sea interactions and oceanic climate change in both surface and deep waters.

Exploration of the exciting new field of personalized genomic medicine. Personalized medicine is based on the idea that each person's unique genome sequence can be used to predict risk of acquiring specific diseases, and to make more informed medical choices. Learn about the fascinating science behind these approaches; where they are heading in the future; and the ethical implications such technology presents. Lectures will be augmented with hands-on experience in exploring and analyzing a real person's genome.

Basics of ecology, from gut bacteria to global climate change. We will link processes at several scales to connect individual behavior, population growth, species interactions and ecosystem function. Combining classroom and field experience, we will see how basic hypothesis testing provides a way to learn about the world by considering the ecology of familiar organisms such as ants, squirrels, trees and some kinds of food. No prerequisites except arithmetic; open to everyone, including but not only those who may be headed for more advanced courses in ecology and environmental science.

The major fields of biology: biochemistry, the cell, evolution, and diversity. Foundation for higher-level biology courses.

A survey of the anatomical and behavioral evidence for human evolution and of the increasingly important information from molecular genetics. Emphasis on the split between the human and chimpanzee lines 6-7 million years ago, the appearance of the australopiths by 4.1 million years ago, the emergence of the genus Homo about 2.5 million years ago, the spread of Homo from Africa 1.7-1.6 million years ago, the subsequent divergence of Homo into different species on different continents, and the expansion of fully modern humans (Homo sapiens) from Africa about 50,000 years ago to replace the Neanderthals and other non-modern Eurasians.

The function and regulation of human organ systems. Various diseases are examined as failures of these regulatory processes. Systems include cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, endocrine, and gastrointestinal.