BIAN2115: 'Race' and Human Genetic Variation (6-unit undergraduate course)

BIAN3115: Regional Topics in Human Genetic Variation (3-unit undergraduate 'add-on' course)

BIAN6115: 'Race' and Human Genetic Variation (postgraduate course)

 

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There are no tutorials scheduled on May 31st but I will be in ADH G12 at 12 noon that day for an informal question and answer session for anyone regardless of tutorial group, for as long as it takes. You're welcome to bring coffee or whatever if you like.

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Interested in honours in biological anthropology, combined archaeology/biological anthropology or population health for 2008?

The meeting called to discuss this has now taken place. If you missed it and are interested, please contact myself, Marc Oxenham or Colin Groves to register your interest. (No commitment required at this stage.) The reason for planning ahead now is to ensure that you are enrolled appropriately in second semester, to maximize your chances of qualifying for honours entry for 2008.

Some relevant web pages are:-
http://info.anu.edu.au/StudyAt/_Arts/Undergraduate/_Conversion_NoHonours/_artshbian.asp
http://info.anu.edu.au/StudyAt/_Arts/Undergraduate/_Conversion_NoHonours/_artsharchbian.asp
http://info.anu.edu.au/StudyAt/_Arts/Undergraduate/_Conversion_NoHonours/_artshpoph.asp

Other streams in the school will have separate meetings or arrange other means of registering interest.

I strongly recommend you contact honours conveners by one means or another before you commit yourself to subject choices in second semester.

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If you wish to know your presentation grade, just email me to ask.

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Essays have been returned to you via the A&A office ADH G13. Please SIGN FOR THEM when you pick them up. There is a sheet there for that. Please look after them as you will need to attach them to the revised version, if/when you take the option of re-submitting a revised version.

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This will be the main place to consult for course materials for the above courses in Semester 1 2007.

Undergraduates please sign up for BIAN2115 tutorials online (i.e. at Arts Faculty Online Tutorial Registration web page: http://arts.anu.edu.au/tutorials/). They start in week 2. Anyone wishing to give their tutorial presentation in week 2, please email me immediately. Otherwise, a schedule of tutorial presentations will be determined at the week 2 tutorials.

Readings for tutorials are as per the handout distributed in the second lecture (and available below). Some readings are in electronic sources anyway, but others have been scanned and are available at ANU library electronic reserve.

BIAN3115 (add-on course): no need for sign-up, just turn up at the week 2 tutorial which is essentially a planning meeting for the main tutorials, which will mostly be in the second part of the semester. Currently the tutorial time is set at Wed 1-2pm, but as one of you can't make this time I am attempting to determine a better time. I have emailed enrolled students about this, but any other intending students - please email me as soon as you can. The time may be shifted as early in the week as Mondays at 11 am, though it may be difficult to set this up for week 2. UPDATE: The time is now set at Mondays 2 pm. Class members who cannot make this time, please come Mondays 3 pm instead. The 3 last tutorials will accommodate both groups by running 2-3.30. If in any doubt about arrangements please email me. All students please check below for relevant handouts.

BIAN6115 (postgraduates): no need for sign-up, just turn up at the week 2 tutorial, Wed 12-1. As with BIAN2115, let me know if you wish to give a presentation in week 2, otherwise we will settle presentations for the rest of the semester in that first tutorial. Please contact me (e.g. by email) ASAP if you have any problems with arrangements for this tutorial.

Lecture summaries (Powerpoint) and handouts will be available here, added as the course proceeds. Click on the right-hand entry in the tables below for access. Handouts still to come at the time of writing will cover the assessment scheme and essays topics, both planned for week 2. Most handouts will also be distributed in paper form, and available also via the drawers in the AD Hope building and at the Arch & Anth office (ADH G13), though one or two longer ones may be in electronic form here only. Guest lecture summaries cannot be guaranteed but will be included where used and made available. Lectures will be digitally recorded, subject to their agreement in the case of guests, and will be available via WebCT (i.e. the BIAN2115 WebCT page, I have requested that BIAN3115 and BIAN6115 students also be given access to this page).

Guest lecturers:-

15th March: Dr Kuldeep Bhatia, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - Genetic mutations and disease

28th March: Dr David Bulbeck, Archaeology & Anthropology - The human biology of ‘race’: the case of Oceania

29th March: Dr Chris Ballard, Pacific and Asian History, RSPAS - The history of ‘race’: the case of Oceania

2nd May: Ian Gilligan, Archaeology & Anthropology - Physical variation: body build and skin pigmentation

16th May: Professor Jenny Graves, Comparative Genomics Group, Research School of Biological Sciences - Sex and sex chromosomes

24th May: Professor Colin Groves, Archaeology & Anthropology - Modern human variation and its origins

30th May: Professor Simon Easteal, Human Genetics, Predictive Medicine Group, John Curtin School - The new promise of genetics

Office consultation hours, semester 1:-

Fridays 9-11 am or by appointment: Room G23, AD Hope Building

Email address:-

robert.attenborough@anu.edu.au

 

Handouts  
   
Course outline (NB there are minor variations since the first version, e.g. in lecture sequence) Outline
Revised course outline (with rearranged lecture topics/dates) Revised outline
Tutorials and tutorial readings Tutorials
Assessment for BIAN2115 (undergrads) 2115 assessment
Assessment for BIAN6115 (postgrads) 6115 assessment
Course outline and assessment for BIAN3115 (undergrad add-on course) 3115 outline
Essay topics and instructions (2115 and 6115) Essay topics
Notes on essay writing Essay notes
Genetics and variation glossary Glossary
General reference list (may be useful for essays and presentations) References
Regional reference list (may be useful for essays and presentations, especially BIAN3115) Regional refs
   

 

Lectures  
   
Lecture 1: ‘Race’, ancestry and adaptation Lecture 1
Lecture 2: Mendel’s principles and their cellular basis Lecture 2
Lecture 3: CANCELLED - hailstorm  
Lecture 4: CANCELLED - hailstorm  
Lecture 5: Cells, sex-linkage & DNA (2-3-4 catch-up) Lecture 5
Lecture 6: Genetic variation and an overview of the human genome (5 & 7 catch-up) Lecture 6
Lecture 7: Human genome (last catch-up) and The interaction of genes and environment Lecture 7
Lecture 8: Genetic mutation and disease (Dr Kuldeep Bhatia, AIHW) Lecture 8
Lecture 9: Gene pools and gene frequencies Lecture 9
Lecture 10: Partner choice and its genetic consequences Lecture 10
Lecture 11: The human biology of 'race': the case of Oceania (Dr David Bulbeck, A&A) Lecture 11
Lecture 12: The history of ‘race’: the case of Oceania (Dr Chris Ballard, PAH, RSPAS) Lecture 12
Lecture 13: Selective processes affecting gene frequencies Lecture 13
Lecture 14: Random processes affecting gene frequencies Lecture 14
Lecture 15: Haemoglobin, the red blood cell and malaria Lecture 15
Lecture 16: Physical variation: body build and skin pigmentation (Ian Gilligan, A&A) Lecture 16
(NB The lecture 16 powerpoint is large: >230 MB)  
Lecture 17: Beyond the haemoglobin molecule Lecture 17
Lecture 18: The blood groups, red and white Lecture 18
Lecture 19: Autosomal variation: from classical to DNA polymorphisms Lecture 19
Lecture 20: Sex and sex chromosomes (Prof. Jenny Graves, Comparative Genomics, RSBS) Lecture 20
Lecture 21: Mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome Lecture 21
Lecture 22: Genetic, archaeological and linguistic differentiation Lecture 22
Lecture 23: Modern human variation and its origins (Prof Colin Groves, A&A) Lecture 23
Lecture 24: The new promise of genetics (Prof Simon Easteal, Predictive Medicine, JCSMR) Lecture 24
Lecture 25: Human genetic variation in modern perspective Lecture 25

 

Robert Attenborough
School of Archaeology & Anthropology
Australian National University