Biological Anthropology Papers Offered in 2026/2027

The paper covers major topics in Biological Anthropology, including non-human primate biology, evolution and behaviour, human origins, comparative perspectives on human health, growth and nutrition, and human genetic diversity. The paper introduces students to behavioural and gene-environment interactions, and the ecology and adaptations of modern populations in the context of their growth, health and cultural diversity. Specific topics covered include the diversity of primates, major patterns and processes in the evolution of humans, the burden of malnutrition and interrelationships with poverty, the role of nature and nurture in shaping the human mind, and insights into the genetic diversity within and between human groups.

Paper Coordinator: Dr Emma Pomeroy
Michaelmas Term: 16 lectures
Lent Term: 16 lectures
Easter Term: 4 lectures

Assessment: three-hour exam

This paper examines human behaviour from a comparative perspective, emphasising both the primate evolutionary context and the vast diversity within our species. The paper begins with a focus on non-human primates and introduces students to the core principles of primatology. Particular attention is paid to the interrelationships between foraging strategies, social systems and life-history. We then situate humans within the broader primate context by exploring how the shift to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle drove the evolution of our derived life-history and social behaviour. Finally, we consider evolutionary explanations for the astounding behavioural diversity across the entire spectrum of human societies, from industrialised market economies to small-scale farmers, pastoralists and foragers. Variation in mate choice, marriage systems, familial relationships and fertility rates among human populations is examined.

Paper Coordinator: Dr Nikhil Chaudhary
Michaelmas Term: 16 lectures
Lent Term: 8 lectures & 3 seminars

Assessment: three-hour exam

This paper is organised into two parts - an overview of human evolution in Michaelmas Term (16 lectures), and a set of 8 lectures focused on the evolution of modern humans and their interaction with other contemporary hominin species. In Michaelmas, the paper introduces students to human evolution, with an emphasis on the fossil record and the evolutionary principles that shaped the evolution of our lineage. The course will explore the apes of the Miocene, and discuss the controversies surrounding hominin origins; it will review the record for Pliocene hominins, focusing on evolutionary trends among the australopithecines, the appearance of morphological and technological innovations, and the role of African geography in shaping early hominin diversity; it will introduce the debate on the origins of the genus Homo, and explore the evolutionary geography of inter-continental hominin dispersals in the Pleistocene; finally, it will critically assess the fossil record for the evolution of multiple regional species in the later Quaternary, including our own, and explore the adaptive processes that led to this diversity. In Lent, the paper will focus on later hominins, the evidence for their behaviour and morphological adaptive trends, and the genetic evidence for inter-specific interactions.

Paper Coordinator: Dr John Rowan
Michaelmas Term: 16 lectures
Lent Term: 8 Lectures & 3 seminars

Assessment: three-hour exam

This paper examines the biology of our species in the context of non-human primate and wider mammalian variation. The paper covers diverse aspects of human biology, including anatomy, physiology, behaviour, cognition, growth patterns and life-history characteristics.

It considers the ways in which our biology differs from that of our closest living relatives, the non-human primates, as well as mammals and vertebrates more broadly. It also explores biological variation within and between human populations, drawing on evidence from both past and contemporary human groups by combining perspectives from the fields of Palaeoanthropology, Evolutionary Genetics, Osteoarchaeology and Human Biology. The paper considers not only how we vary, but why, discussing both the underlying evolutionary mechanisms (such as natural selection, neutral variation and epigenetics), as well as the developmental basis of the variation we observe.

Paper Coordinator: Dr Mark Dyble
Michaelmas Term: 16 lectures
Lent Term: 8 Lectures & 3 seminars

Assessment: three-hour exam

This paper introduces students to quantitative data analysis and scientific computing.

This paper provides foundational skills for critical thinking, data handling, and quantitative analysis for archaeological and anthropological research. It covers theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of modern scientific research, enabling the identification of appropriate statistical analyses and relevant data required to address specific research questions. Lectures cover theoretical aspects pertaining to the logic of scientific arguments and the core principles of statistical inference, as well as key concepts of data handling, visualisation, and analysis. Practical sessions and supervisions provide hands-on experience for carrying out many of the analysis presented in the lecture primarily through the use of R statistical computing language.

Paper Coordinator: Dr Enrico Crema
Michaelmas Term: 9 lectures & 7 ‘hands-on’ sessions
Lent Term: 10 lectures & 6 ‘hands-on’ sessions

Assessment: Coursework

This paper introduces students to applied statistical modelling in Archaeology and Biological anthropology through a “hands-on” approach via practical sessions using R statistical computing language. Topics covered include generalised linear models, multilevel models, spatial analysis, machine learning, and causal inference. Each concept will be introduced by examining archaeological and anthropological case studies. Optional, targeted sessions on specific topics concerning data handling and visualisation will be available on Moodle. The course does not have any specific pre-requisites, but students with no familiarity with basic statistical notions are advised to take a short online self-assessment quiz and contact the coordinator. 

Paper Coordinator: Dr Enrico Crema
Michaelmas Term: 16 lectures & practicals

Assessment: Coursework

Who were the Neanderthals? When and where did they evolve? What is the significance of their unique morphology and biology? Were they less flexible and innovative in their behaviour, and limited in their use of symbolism and abstract thought? Did they lack the compassion to care for the sick and the dead? Why are they so enduring in popular culture? And, of course, why did they ultimately go extinct while we, their close evolutionary cousins, did not? This paper will explore all things Neanderthal: their evolution, morphology, cognition and behaviour, from their origins to their demise, through to historical perspectives on their discovery and their characterisation in the public eye. 

Paper Coordinator: Prof Emma Pomeroy
Lent Term: Lectures, Seminars & Practicals

Assessment: two-hour exam

Evolutionary medicine is an emerging field that promises to provide valuable insights into human health and disease. In this paper (B13), we will critically examine the central ideas of evolutionary medicine and the concept of evolutionary “mismatch”, before considering evolutionary perspectives on specific topics including human diet, exercise, and non-communicable disease, human-microbe interactions, reproductive health, and mental health. Particular attention will be paid to the use of data from contemporary hunter-gatherer populations in the evolutionary medicine literature. 

Paper Coordinator: Dr Mark Dyble

Lent Term: Lectures 

Assessment: two-hour exam

Humans are unique among primates in their dependence on technology. This paper explores how and why hominins (incl. modern humans) became entirely dependent upon technology, and how the development of stone and organic tools over the last three million years influenced our evolution. This includes focused discussion on hominin cognition, language, post-cranial anatomy and subsistence behaviours, and how each was facilitated and influenced by material culture. 

Paper Coordinator: Dr Alastair Key

Michaelmas Term: 8 lectures & 8 seminars

Assessment: Coursework

Human genetic diversity is the product of our evolutionary history. The theory and tools of population genetics allow us to read this history, revealing evidence of migrations, natural selection, social practices and ancient admixture. This paper will discuss how genetic analyses have illuminated different aspects of human history, with a focus on building an intuitive understanding of genetics as a source of information in human evolutionary research. 

The paper will begin by revisiting the impact of core evolutionary processes – drift, selection, migration, inbreeding – on genetic variation. It will introduce important theoretical models in population genetics and the principles of model inference and simulation. It will explore the distinctive genetic signals left by different types of adaptation and different demographic processes, and use these to map a journey from our evolutionary past to present-day genetic diversity. 

Paper Coordinator: Dr Guy Jacobs
Michaelmas Term: 16 lectures & practicals

Assessment: two-hour exam

This paper explores the fascinating world of our closest relatives in the animal world - the diversity, evolution, ecology, and behaviour of non-human primates. Primates exhibit both unique features among mammals, such as their sociality, life history and potential for culture, but they also share with them patterns of adaptive radiations, extinction, dispersals and competition. Advanced primatology offers an opportunity to study current research topics that bring together the general approaches of evolutionary biology and the unique perspectives of primatologists. 

Paper Coordinator: Dr Sylvain Lemoine
Lent Term: 16 lectures & seminars

Assessment: two-hour exam

Dissertations in Biological Anthropology as part of the Archaeology Tripos
 

Dissertations towards the completion of Part IIB in the Archaeology Tripos (Biological Anthropology Track or Biological Anthropology/Archaeology Joint Track) or as a Part II option/minor in the PBS or NST Triposes follow these regulations:

• A topic within the field of Biological Anthropology, approved by the Head of Department by the end of Michaelmas Term
• Not more than 10,000 words, including footnotes, figures, tables, and captions but not including appendices and bibliography.
• It may or not include original data collection and analysis (i.e., either in the form of a piece of original research, or in the form of an extended essay)

Dissertations in Biological Anthropology as part of BBS, Natural Sciences Tripos

Dissertations submitted towards the completion of Part II in the NST Biological and Biomedical Sciences ‘Major in Human Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour’ follow these regulations:

• A topic within the field of Biological Anthropology, approved by the division of Michaelmas Term
• Not more than 6,000 words, excluding tables, figures, and references.
• Not including original data collection and analysis (i.e., in the form of an extended essay)

Further guidance is available on the BBS Dissertation webpage.

Paper Coordinator: BioAnth Part II Coordinator