Being Female, Part 2: The Human Female

The human female is the behavioral and biological result of 66 million years of mammalian evolution.  Beginning with the earliest mammals, this course will explore the biological adaptations, challenges, and compromises leading to the modern human female. The study of human evolution has traditionally focused on the male of the species.  A focus on the female will reveal some powerful, surprising, and revolutionary additions to the understanding of our species.

Readings:

Cat Bohannon, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, ISBN 978-0593793008 (paperback) or ISBN 978-0385350549 (hard cover).

Barbara Snapp has taught and researched in science for over 50 years since receiving her PhD in biology from Cornell University. Her research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary adaptiveness of life. She most enjoys teaching broad survey courses where she can interweave basic themes to build a multidimensional under-standing.