UNIVERSITY OF GUAM

UNIVERSITY OF GUAM

COURSE OUTLINE

* Was approved as an AN394 course (Special Study in Applied Human Osteology), for SP2000

Course Number: AN361* College (or sponsoring Unit): CAS

Course Title: APPLIED HUMAN OSTEOLOGY Credit Hours: 3

Date of Final Approval: ___________ Semester Offered: Spring/Even years

Course counts as: _____ general education requirement

__X _ part of an Anthropology program major

__X _ elective

1. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: A continuation of AN360, this course involves students in a human osteological research project, under the direction and mentoring of the Instructor. Classroom and laboratory components of the course include preparing, preserving and restoring human skeletal remains, and subsequent protocols and methods of systematic description and analysis. The latter include inventory, photography, description of post-mortem alteration, assessment of age at death, sex, stature, and ancestry, and an introduction to osteobiographical (i.e., life history recorded in bone) interpretation. Various generic and specialized computer applications are taught or demonstrated.

2. COURSE CONTENT: Lectures and Labs cover the following:

a. Processing of human skeletal remains, in preparation for analysis: respect, care and attention to detail

b. Protocol for systematic inventorying of skeletal and dental components

c. Photographic record production

d. Description of post-mortem alterations

e. Methods of assessing age at death, sex, stature and ancestry

f. Description and interpretation of pathological changes

g. Description and interpretation of activity-induced changes to the skeleton and dentition

h. Computer applications in data entry, management, exploration and analysis

3. RATIONALE FOR THE COURSE: AN361 provides ‘graduates’ of the basic human osteology course (AN360) an opportunity to apply and further their understanding of human skeletal and dental variation, through mentored involvement in a research project. Practical laboratory skills (including computer) are emphasized. Students gain a first-hand appreciation of the process of observational sciencing, through experiencing the rigors and alternating excitement and boredom of benchwork in human osteology. This training provides a valuable foundation for students considering further studies in biological anthropology, as well as allied human biological and health sciences.

4. SKILLS AND BACKGROUND REQUIRED OR EXPECTED: Students must have taken AN360, or its equivalent, in the recent past. If study of the human skeleton occurred in the more distant past, the prospective student should consider auditing AN360 during the term immediately before AN361 is offered. AN101 and AN222 are prerequisites for AN360, but these additional prerequisites can be waived by the Instructor in cases where the student is deemed to have adequate equivalent background (in human or comparative anatomy).

5. TEACHING METHODOLOGIES AND ANTICIPATED CLASS SIZE: Lectures, demonstrations and discussion of handouts precede each laboratory unit. The laboratory work entails both training and supervised data-production sessions. The anticipated class size is 3-6 students. It is hoped that low enrollment will be permitted, in view of the income-producing potential of the course (see Section 13 of attached Request for Course Approval form)

6. ADDITIONAL COURSE DESCRIPTORS: None

7. LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENTS: With successful completion of the course, students will demonstrate a knowledge of:

a. basic laboratory procedures of preparation, preservation and restoration of human skeletal remains

b. how to systematically inventory an assemblage of human skeletal remains

c. how to produce a photographic record for documentary and research purposes

d. how to assess age at death, sex, stature and ancestry, using standard and recently- developed methods

e. how human osteologists approach the study of paleopathology and activity-induced changes to the skeleton

8. METHODS OF EVALUATION: Given the learning objectives, methods of evaluation may include:

a. in-class quizzes

b. observation of student in-class preparation, as well as diligence and care devoted to laboratory benchwork

c. an annotated bibliography related to their special area of project interest

d. a project portfolio that documents classroom and laboratory preparation and work accomplishments