Origins and environmental influence of humans in SE Asia and the Pacific
Dr John Grindrod and Ms Isabel Ellender
8 points
* 2 hours per week
* Second semester
* Clayton
*
Prerequisites: None
Objectives Students should have researched the literature on the ecological history of humans. In particular they will have attained a broad knowledge of the biological and cultural evolution of humans through the Quaternary period; a sound understanding of the environmental context in which human development proceeded; an appreciation of the ecological role of early humans, and their increasing environmental influence on the old world and the naive lands; a first-hand knowledge of selected prehistoric localities and features in Victoria and a familiarity with modern archaeological and paleoenvironmental techniques.
Synopsis This subject traces the evolution of humans in Africa from hominid precursors, through the current palaeontological evidence for the development of the genus Homo. Modern humans are defined in genetic and evolutionary terms as a close ape relative. The movement of humans out of Africa and subsequent world colonisation is reviewed, while the characteristics which set humans apart from other animals are discussed, with a focus on animal precursors to human behavioural traits. The archaeological evidence for the development of tool use and increasingly complex lifestyles is also critically reviewed. With this background the ecology of pre-industrial people, including Homo erectus but concentrating on Homo sapiens, provides a basis for exploring the long-standing relationships between people and environment. The outcomes of this relationship are illustrated with case studies of the early arrival and sustained ecological influence of people in Australia and the Pacific region.
Assessment Written (3000 words): 30%
* Tutorial paper presentation:
30%
* Field report (3000 words): 40%
Prescribed texts
Diamond J The rise and fall of the third chimpanzee 1993
Dodson J The naive lands 1993
Flood J Archaeology of the dreamtime 1989
Martin P S and Klein R Quaternary extinctions (selected chapters), 1984
Thorne A and Raymond R Man on the rim. The peopling of the Pacific 1989
White J P and O'Connell J F Prehistory of Australia, New Guinea and Sahul 1982
| Published by Monash University, Clayton, Victoria
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