Exploring Something Old/New: Anthropology

When I first started thinking about applying to college way back in high school, I initially thought I would major in Anthropology or Archaeology. The study of ancient peoples and the development of humanity fascinated me, and still does. However, as I explored career options, I decided to head in the biological direction in terms of major. However, my interest in Anthropology remained, and this quarter I decided to take BIO A 201: Principles of Biological Anthropology. I ended up really enjoying this class. It chronicled the evolution of Homo sapiens, beginning with the primate order, into apes, and then the hominin ancestry, all the way up to humans. It was very interesting to learn more in detail about the characteristics we share with apes and other hominins, and what makes us humans unique. We discussed interesting topics like the intricacies of evolution, especially as it pertained to key developments in hominins like bipedalism, and how the concept of race is not at all biologically sound.

In lab, I studied the bones and fossils of monkeys, apes, and hominins, learning to recognize traits like bipedalism just from the bones (hint: look for the bicondylar angle in the femur and a bowl-shaped pelvis). At the end of the class, I had the first lab practical exam I've ever had, which was challenging, but I think good practice for my upcoming lab practicals in organic chemistry (eek!). I also earned my first 100% on an exam in college, which was pretty exciting (and no doubt will be hard to come by in the future). For a final project in this class, I created a presentation reviewing the primate order, which was fun to do, and included lots of information! Overall, this class was not the most challenging, but still super interesting and definitely solidified my interest in Anthropology as a field. I hope to explore some intersections of Biology and Anthropology and am potentially considering a minor in Anthropology, if I can find the space in my schedule...

Slides from my Primate Evolution Project