Human Origins and Evolution
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this course on human biological evolution, tracing the interplay between physical traits, behavior, environment, and culture. Lessons cover morphological evolution and adaptation, fossil and cultural evidence for human evolution from earliest hominins through the Pleistocene, the emergence of tool use and social behavior, and modern human variation, including how scientists have historically framed and revised the concept of race. Students examine actual stone artifacts and fossil specimens as primary evidence rather than relying only on lecture summaries. Materials include the full syllabus, readings, and assignments as published by MIT, free to access online. The course gives a grounding in paleoanthropology and biological anthropology, useful for anyone wanting the evidentiary basis behind claims about where humans came from and how bodies and behavior changed over deep time.