Instead of having a second section meeting this week, you need to visit Denny 401 between 8 and 4 on Thursday, April 17 to look at evidence that will help you understand the controversy about whether modern humans evolved in Africa and then spread elsewhere, displacing earlier populations (the "Out of Africa" hypothesis), or whether modern human beings evolved locally in many parts of the Old World (the "Multiregional Evolution" hypothesis).

Since the controversy is very complex and involves many ancient populations all over the Old World, we are only going to address one instance of the controversy: whether the Neandertals of Europe were displaced by a migrant population from Africa, or whether they evolved in place into the modern Europeans.

Fossil Worksheet

Tools Worksheet

DNA Worksheet

You should print the three worksheets available from the above links before visiting Denny 401, and take them with you when you go. You do not need to visit during the time your section ordinarily meets, but you should expect to spend about the same amount of time-probably over an hour--as you would spend in a section meeting.

From your Tuesday or Wednesday section, you should already be somewhat familiar with the three kinds of evidence you are going to examine: replicas of fossil skulls, charts of differences in DNA between various populations, and artifacts recovered from archaeological excavations that can be associated with the various forms of early and modern humans.

In Denny 401, there will be three tables, each one presenting one sort of evidence. There will be a member of the course staff at each table at all times to help you understand what you are seeing, but not to give you the answers to the questions on your worksheets.

When you have noted down all the relevant material on the worksheets, you may want to take them home to answer some of the more complex or general questions. You must turn in the worksheets at the beginning of your Tuesday or Wednesday section on April 18 or 19.

We think this will be difficult, but fun. Remember that the experts disagree, so you are not expected to "solve" the controversy. It's more important that you understand the issues at stake and the way people go about using evidence to try to solve them.