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University of Calgary Calendar 2023-2024 COURSES OF INSTRUCTION Course Descriptions A Anthropology ANTH
Anthropology ANTH

For more information about these courses see the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology website: arts.ucalgary.ca/anthropology-archaeology.

Junior Courses
Anthropology 201       Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Introduction to the major fields of biological anthropology including evolutionary theory and processes, human paleontology, primatology, genetics, osteology, human adaptation, development, and variation, with special emphasis on the path of human evolution.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 201 and Archaeology 203 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 203       Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
Introduction to the study of human society and culture with the focus on major institutions (such as politics, economics, religion, kinship, and gender), operating on both local and global scales.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
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Senior Courses
Anthropology 303       Business in Cultural Context
Ways in which differences in cultural values and practices affect the form and nature of interaction between business parties, especially those of differing national/cultural/ethnic backgrounds.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
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Anthropology 305       Human Variation and Adaptation
Some of the major problems involved in interpreting modern and recent human diversity. Emphasis on the interaction between human cultural and biological systems and on cultural influences upon human biological diversity.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
3 units from Anthropology 201, Archaeology 203, Biology 241, 205.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 305 and Archaeology 305 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 309       Human Evolution
Investigation of the major phases of human evolution, with an emphasis on understanding how, when and why specific adaptations evolved. In laboratories, students learn to reconstruct behaviour from anatomical and palaeontological evidence.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-1)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 or Archaeology 203.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 309 and either Archaeology 333 or 327.03 (Human Origins) will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 311       Primate Behaviour
Primate behaviour and related topics, including social dynamics, sociobiology, socio-ecology, dominance, aggression, kinship, sexual behaviour, socialization, learning, cognition, communication, ape language, and conservation.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
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Anthropology 313       Anthropology of the Environment
Cross-cultural perspectives on human-environment relationships and application to contemporary problems concerning conservation, resource management and environmentalism.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 399.03 Environment and Culture)
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Anthropology 320       Ethnographic Overview of Africa
Ethnographic survey of the peoples of Africa and historical analysis of their incorporation within the contemporary nation states of the continent.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 320 and either 317 or 319 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 321       Ethnographic Overview of Latin America
A survey of cultural traditions of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America as they have evolved since the sixteenth century.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 329       Topics in Ethnographic Overview of Selected World Areas
Selected topics in the anthropology of world areas.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 331       Sex and Gender
Cross-species and cross-cultural perspective on sex and gender.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
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Anthropology 341       Medical Anthropology
A survey of anthropological approaches to disease, illness and the maintenance of health.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 343       Militarism and Militarization
Comparative global ethnographic survey of militarization processes. Examples will be drawn from contemporary and historical societies, with a particular emphasis on the wide variety of institutions and communities necessary to the production of violence, and on their relationship to the larger society.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 343 and 315 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 346       Development of Indigenous-Settler Relations in Canada
An exploration of Indigenous-Settler relations in Canada from first contact to present, including the development of Indian policy, the Indian Act, treaties, residential schools, and Sixties Scoop.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 213 and 346 will not be allowed.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 210)
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Anthropology 350       Laboratory Practice in Biological Anthropology
Examines the basic concepts and methods of biological anthropology using an experiential learning model. Coverage includes genetics, osteology, primatology, paleoanthropology, and human biology with a strong emphasis on the role of evolutionary theory throughout.
Course Hours:
3 units; (1-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201.
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Anthropology 355       Indigenous Peoples of Canada
A critical overview of the historical, social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural contexts related to health, justice, education, gender, traditional practices, and identity of Indigenous Peoples, Nations, cultures, and organizations across Canada.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 357       Anthropology of Development
Cultural dimensions of local and international development policy, programming, and evaluation.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
3 units from Anthropology 203, Global Development Studies 201, Indigenous Studies 201.
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Anthropology 361       History of Anthropology
Historical survey of anthropological thought from the enlightenment to the present.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 361 and 461 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 363       Magic, Witchcraft, and Gods: Anthropology of Religion
Contemporary anthropological theoretical perspectives on topics such as divination, ritual, witchcraft, magic and symbolism in both Indigenous and world religions. The relationship of religion to healing, gender and power is also examined.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
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Anthropology 371       Political Anthropology
Critical analysis of political structures and processes that illuminate connections between culture, politics, and economics.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 379       Urban Anthropology
A study of tribalism, ethnicity, sub-cultures, social networks and related phenomena in urban societies. Attention will be paid to planning and applied urban anthropology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 385       Economic Anthropology
Comparative analysis of production, distribution and consumption in local and globalized contexts. Examines theories of exchange, the effects of capitalism, and the relation between economy and culture.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 393       Anthropology of Global Systems
Investigates the complex relationship between the global and the local by examining the social, cultural, economic, and political changes in specific localities as a result of the global rise of capitalism.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
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Anthropology 395       Anthropology of Science
An introduction to the culture and the politics of science. Examines conceptual and daily practices in the laboratory, the scientific method, the training of scientists, the work of scientific collaboration and the intersection between scientists and wider political, racial, gendered and religious issues. Special consideration will be given to the anthropology of scientific controversy.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 399.06 Anthropology of Science)
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Anthropology 399       Topics in Anthropology

Examination of select problems in Anthropology. Topics may be drawn from all subfields in the discipline.


Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 400       Individual Supervised Study
An individual study course for Anthropology majors under the supervision of a faculty member.
Course Hours:
3 units; (12-36 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the BA or BSc Anthropology and consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 410       Contemporary Indigenous Affairs in Canada
Investigation of current affairs related to First Nations, MĂ©tis and Inuit peoples, communities and Nations, including an examination of the historical, social, political, cultural and economic contexts of racism, colonialism and Indigenous strengths, resistance and resurgence.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
3 units from Anthropology 210, 213, 346, 355 or courses labelled Indigenous Studies.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 310)
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Anthropology 411       Methods and Analysis for Anthropology
An introduction to research design, data collection, and analysis as used in anthropology. Cross-cultural research design and methods, use of participant observation and personal documents will be emphasized.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 391 or 490.
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Anthropology 412       The Primate Fossil Record
A review of the evolution of the primates, covering the morphological and taxonomic diversity of fossil primates, environmental and chronological context for primate evolution, and current debates and problems in the field of primate evolution. In class laboratories focus on the diversity of primate dietary, locomotor, and social adaptations, and how these are inferred from the fossil record.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 309 and 311.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 505.11 Conference Course In Anthropology (Area III))
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Anthropology 413       Methods in Primatology
Focus on observational methods and analysis, with practical application in laboratory study at the Calgary Zoo.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-3)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 311.
Notes:
A supplementary fee will be assessed to cover additional costs associated with this course.                
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Anthropology 421       Contemporary Latin American Society
An examination of selected issues in the anthropological study of contemporary Latin America.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 321.
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Anthropology 425       Primate Cognition
Causes and consequences of primate sociality, such as brain structure and evolution, kin recognition, Theory of Mind, social perception and awareness, and similarities and differences in communication and cognition between human and non-human primates.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 311.
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Anthropology 435       Evolution of Human Behaviour
Analysis of evolutionary principles and processes (such as natural selection, sexual selection, kin selection, parental investment) as they are applied to the current study of human and non-human primate behaviour. Special emphasis on socioecological approaches to primate behaviour.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 311.
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Anthropology 441       Problems in the Anthropology of Health

An examination of selected problems in the anthropology of health. Topics may include models of health in Canada, etiological claims in health research, and anthropology of pharmaceuticals.


Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 341.
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Anthropology 445       Ecology and Behaviour of Small-Scale Human Societies
Survey of the ethnographic record of small-scale societies from a biocultural and evolutionary perspective. Topics include energy systems, subsistence, social organization, learning, psychology, institutions, kinship structures, aggression and warfare, exchange, and interactions between state and non-state societies.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 305.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 505.31 Ecophysiology)
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Anthropology 449       Anthropology of HIV/AIDS
Examines the individual, clinical, epidemiological, cultural, social, psychological, political, economic, and public policy dimensions of HIV/AIDS along with its meaning and importance on a global level from an anthropological perspective.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 341.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 349)
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Anthropology 451       Primate Ecology and Conservation
An exploration of conservation challenges for nonhuman primates including how primates interact with their environments, the causes for population declines, and the strategies to reduce the threats to their survival.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 311.
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Anthropology 466       Disaster Studies
Examines disasters in the Anthropocene with the goal of assessing human and environmental vulnerability, risk perception, and risk mitigation across cultures and political realms.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203 and 3 units in courses labelled Anthropology at the 300 level or above.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 399.15 Disaster Studies)
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Anthropology 467       Soldiering: Perspectives on Military Life
An anthropological approach to soldiering in the aftermath of the Second World War. Questions the idea of a universal soldier, soldiers’ shifting relationship to the nation-state, the rise of privatized warfare and the creation of global military communities. Special attention will be paid to the rise of humanitarian military regimes, military occupation, new technologies of warfare and non-human soldiers.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 343.
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Anthropology 490       Anthropological Theory
Examination of the fundamentals of anthropological theory through key concepts in anthropology since the nineteenth century, such as race, history, society, function, structure, gender and representation.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 391, 365 and 490 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 501       Advanced Topics in Social and Cultural Anthropology
A seminar on a selected topic of social and cultural anthropology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3S-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 203, an additional 3 units of a course labelled Anthropology at the 300 level or above and consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 505       Advanced Topics in Biological Anthropology
A seminar on a selected topic of biological anthropology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3S-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 506       Anthropological Genetics
Examines the principles of evolutionary genetics with a focus on applications to current topics in Anthropology such as behaviour, life history, adaptation, migration and disease. Explores the contents of the primate genome as well as human and non-human primate genetic variation in an evolutionary framework.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
60 units including Anthropology 350 and consent of the Department.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 505.13 Anthropological Genetics)
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Anthropology 523       Human Ecology
Current directions in various subfields of human ecology as they apply to Anthropology, Archaeology, and Geography.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Anthropology 534       Biological Anthropology Perspectives on Health
The biocultural study of human health among contemporary and past populations via cross-cultural studies of health and healing, child growth and development, reproductive health, aging, infectious disease, immune function, and the impact of stress on physical and mental health.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 305.
Also known as:
(formerly Anthropology 533.92 Bioanthropology and Health)
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Anthropology 541       Field Study in Social and Cultural Anthropology
Research projects under the supervision of a member of academic staff.
Course Hours:
3 units; (36 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
Notes:
May be offered as part of a group study program. Additional fees may be assessed to cover additional costs associated with this course.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 552       Field Studies: Topics in Primatology
Intensive training and practice in field methods of observational primate behaviour or behavioural ecology.
Course Hours:
6 units; (72 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Anthropology 553.
Notes:
May be offered as part of a group study program. Additional fees may be assessed to cover additional costs associated with this course.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 553       Field Study: Primate Behavioural Research Design
Design of a research project, including the identification and operationalization of a research question and the collection and analysis of data.
Course Hours:
3 units; (36 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Anthropology 552.
Notes:
May be offered as part of a group study program. Additional fees may be assessed to cover additional costs associated with this course.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 573       Honours Seminar in Social and Cultural Anthropology

Current theoretical and methodological issues will be explored in a discussion-based seminar format, with the possibility of development of a research project.


Course Hours:
3 units; (3S-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 411 and admission to the Anthropology Honours Program.
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Anthropology 589       Nutritional Anthropology
The study of human dietary practices from biological and cultural perspectives. Subjects covered include the development of nutritional anthropology, principles of nutrition, principles of ecology, diet from an evolutionary, comparative and historic perspective, the impact of undernutrition on human physiology, and behaviour and methods in nutritional anthropology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Anthropology 201 and 305.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 589 and Archaeology 589 will not be allowed.
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Anthropology 590       Honours Thesis in Biological Anthropology
Research project under the direction of a member of the Department.
Course Hours:
6 units; (24-48 hours)
Prerequisite(s):
Admission to the BSc Anthropology Honours program.
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Graduate Courses

Only where appropriate to a student's program may graduate credit be received for courses numbered 500-599.

Anthropology 601       Conference Course in Anthropology
A specialized area of Anthropology selected on the basis of particular interest and need.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 603       Thesis Development
A reading and conference course in the student's substantive area conducted jointly by at least two faculty members.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3S-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 605       Professional Skills for Anthropologists
Training and practice in research/teaching skills: grantsmanship, conference and classroom presentations, academic publishing, job interviews.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for Anthropology 605 and 601.90 (Professional Skills), or the equivalent, will not be allowed.
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Anthropology 611       Methods in Anthropological Research
A variety of topics relevant to research and the logic of inquiry in Anthropology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Anthropology 613       Current Issues in Methodology in Primatology
A variety of topics relating to aspects of data collection and data analysis in primatology, with a focus on ecological and behavioural data.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 631       Anthropological Theory

Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Anthropology 635       Primatological Theory
Seminar dealing with the theoretical material of primatological and biobehavioural perspectives in Anthropology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Anthropology 641       Seminar in Civil-Military Relations
Comparative analysis of relations between civil society and military institutions. A critical approach to analyzing how civil and military institutions mutually constitute each other, rather than taking the military and civilian sectors as a given. Special attention will be paid to twentieth-century militarization as a social process that has dramatically changed the shape of both civilian and military spheres.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Anthropology 659       Primatology
Specialized topics and laboratory training in this field will vary from year-to-year and may include: behavioural ecology, biomechanics, evolution, biosociality, and field methodology.
Course Hours:
3 units; (3-3)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Anthropology 701       Independent Studies

Course Hours:
3 units; (3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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