Monthly Archives: May 2013

Preview video for Anth 207x

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

The course “trailer” for Anth 207x (Introduction to Human Evolution) has been released. You can check it out at EdX or directly on YouTube. It was fun to film and has me looking forward to producing much of the rest … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | Tagged | 1 Comment

Back from the Charyn Canyon

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

Made it back into Almaty after two days in the Charyn Canyon region of Kazakhstan. We were able to re-identify a few Paleolithic scatters first identified by Russian archaeologists in the 1980s. I found a fossil bovid tooth, but sadly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils | Tagged , | Comments Off on Back from the Charyn Canyon

What I am attempting to read today…

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

…before returning to the field. Properties and rates of germline mutations in humans (C.D. Campbell, E.E. Eichler) Trends in Genetics, 17 May 2013, 10.1016/j.tig.2013.04.005 ABSTRACT: All genetic variation arises via new mutations; therefore, determining the rate and biases for different … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Genetics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What I am attempting to read today…

The hardest part about being in the field

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

There are many many wonderful things about doing paleoanthropological fieldwork. I spent most of the past week doing survey work in a beautiful, though vast, section of South-Central Kazakhstan. I can certainly think of worse things to do then spend … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils | Tagged | Comments Off on The hardest part about being in the field

Greetings from Kazakhstan!

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

I am very briefly back in Almaty after a successful week at the Paleolithic site of Valikhanova, in South Central Kazakhstan. While I was away, the announcement of my Fall course, Anthro 207x – Introduction to Human Evolution, done in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Teaching | Tagged | 1 Comment

Anthropology 207x – Making it easier to ask better questions

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

In my post yesterday, I pointed out that one of my goals in Anthropology 207x is to disseminate a lot of information about human evolution. In addition to disseminating this information, my plan is to also provide an introduction to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Teaching | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Anthropology 207x – Making it easier to ask better questions

Anthropology 207x – My goals

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

One of the first things I want to convey about Anthropology 207x (Introduction to Human Evolution) are my goals in putting together the course. Dissemination My largest goal for this course is make available valuable teaching content related to human … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Teaching | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Anthropology 207x – My goals

Announcing Anthropology 207x

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

Last Fall, Wellesley announced its plan to partner with EdX and produce its first online, MOOC courses. Even prior to that decision, I was curious about the development of MOOCs and online teaching: Between two professors: Pros and Cons of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils, Teaching | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Announcing Anthropology 207x

Gone Diggin’

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

I will be out of the country on an initial field foray to Kazakhstan for the next several weeks. A few posts will be showing up during that time, maybe more than a few depending on the degree of internet … Continue reading →

Posted in Fossils | Tagged | 1 Comment

What I am reading today (5/15/13)

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Adam Van Arsdale

Finishing up the semester’s grading and preparing to leave for a little bit of fieldwork, but here is what I am trying to read today: Let’s Abandon Significance Tests – Jim Wood (The Mermaid’s Tale) But now suppose we’ve learned … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Evolution, Fossils | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What I am reading today (5/15/13)