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Human Biology

Code: 101975
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Genetics OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Magda Gaya Vidal
Email :
magda.gaya@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Maria Eulàlia Subira de Galdacano
Rafael Montiel Duarte
Magda Gaya Vidal

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

It is advisable to have approved the first-year genetics program. 

Objectives

The science of Human Biology studies the variability of the species Homo sapiens sapiens, both from the morphological aspect, as well as from the development and genetics of our species. 

The objective of the subject is to understand human biology by integrating aspects such as:

a) The origin and evolution of our species


b) The origin and characteristics of human variability, from 
morphology, physiology and genetics.

c) Human demography and its relationship with overpopulation and biomedical impacts.

Learning outcomes

  • KM17 (Describe the principles of population genetics and human evolution, as well as their applications in the forensic and biomedical fields.) Describe the principles of population genetics and human evolution, as well as their applications in the forensic and biomedical fields.
  • SM20 (Interpret the genetic basis of human pathologies and the therapeutic response, integrating the gender perspective and bioethical implications. .) Interpret the genetic basis of human pathologies and the therapeutic response, integrating the gender perspective and bioethical implications. .

Contents

-Miocene and Human Evolution:Humans as Primates, Hominization

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Origins of Homo sapiens: Migrations, Interbreeding and Evolutionary Forces

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Genetics of Human Populations

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Biodemography and Epidemiology

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Evolution of the Life Cycle

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Adaptations to Environmental and Biocultural Factors

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Co-evolution: Microbiome, Pathogens, etc.

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Maladaptations to New Environments

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Future of the Human Species, Overpopulation, Biomedicine, habits...


 


 

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
seminars 2 0.08 KM17, SM20
Practices 13 0.52 KM17, SM20
Preparation of group work 39 1.56 KM17, SM20
Study 59 2.36 KM17, SM20
theory 35 1.4 KM17, SM20
Classroom practices 2 0.08 KM17, SM20

The development of the formative activities of Human Biology subject will realize through: theory classes, seminars, realization of a work and practical laboratory sessions. Each one of these typologies with its own methodology. These activities will be complemented by a series of tutoring sessions.

Theoretical classes: In these classes the students acquire the scientific knowledge of the subject. These are master classes with ICT support, which are complemented by personal study of the topics presented. The audiovisual material used in class can be found by students in the \"teaching material\" tool of the Virtual Campus. These classes are conceived as a fundamentally unidirectional method of transmitting knowledge from teachers to students that forces them to develop autonomous learning strategies outside the classroom.

 Seminars: In advance, teachers will provide students with the necessary documentation to discuss in the seminars; the students must have prepared them from the material delivered previously to the Virtual Campus (contribution of material by the students and the teacher, debate).

Practical laboratory sessions: Students come into contact with laboratory equipment and techniques. The results will be discussed at the end of each practice and / or the evaluable materials will be collected. Students will be able to access the protocols and practice guides through the Virtual Campus. The knowledge acquired in theory classes and in personal study is applied to the resolution of practical cases. Students work in small groups, enabling them to acquire the ability to work in groups, analyze and synthesize. It also allows you to apply statistical resources in the interpretation of data.

Tutorials: The aim of these sessions is multiple: to resolve doubts, to carry out debates on topics that have been proposed in class, to orient on the sources consulted by the students and to explain the use of the tools of the Virtual Campus necessary for the proposed activities. These sessions are not expository nor do they advance the subject matter, but they are sessions of debate and discussion. Much of the content of the tutorial sessions is based on the work done by the student autonomously.

Work: The first day of class, a list of works will be provided to the students. Each one must choose a work from the list. Throughout the execution of the work, students will be tutored and supervised. The work will have to be exposed and will be evaluable.

 

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
work 25% 0 0 KM17, SM20
seminars 10% 0 0 KM17, SM20
exam 40% 0 0 KM17, SM20
practices 25% 0 0 KM17, SM20

In the case of a continuous assessment, the participation of the students, the preparation of the seminars, the practice materials and the score of the controls will be taken into account. In order to attend, the student must justify having passed the biosafety and safety tests found on the Virtual Campus and be knowledgeable and accept the operating rules of the laboratories of the Faculty of Biosciences.

For the evaluation of the subject there will be two eliminatory controls with a weight each of 20% of the subject. Students who have not passed any of the controls through continuous assessment will have a recovery check of the part they have not passed.


The minimum grade for each of the assessable parts will be 4. To pass the course the grade must be equal to or greater than 5.

Students who pass both tests will be allowed to raise the grade with an integrative control of the entire subject. In this case, the grade to be considered will be the latter regardless of whether it is higher or lower than the one obtained previously.


The work itself will have a weight of 25% of the grade and will be done following the guidelines that will be published on the virtual campus.


With regard to laboratory practices, seminars and classroom practices, attendance is compulsory. Attendance at practical sessions is mandatory. Students will be graded as “Not Evaluable” when the absence exceeds 20% of the scheduled sessions. The weight of the practices in the final note of the asignatura is of 25%.


The seminars will be worked on in class and will be assessed with the delivery of questions and problems delivered on the same day of the seminar. The weight will be 10%.If because of an elevated number of students seminars hours are needed for the Work presentations, this 10% will be added to that 25%, resulting in a 35%.


To participate in the recovery, students must have been previously assessed in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the subject or module. Therefore, students will obtain the grade of \"Not assessable\" when the assessment activities performed have a weighting of less than 67% in the final grade.


Single evaluation:

The teaching activities of the students who take advantage of the single assessment involve:

A) Directed teaching (Theory): a single synthesis test in which the contents of the entire theory program of the subject will be evaluated. The test will consist of multiple choice questions. The grade obtained in this synthesis test will account for 40% of the final grade for the subject.

B) Other supervised teaching typologies of compulsory completion of this subject

b1) realization of a project: the students will have agreed tutorials, and the work will be carried out in accordance with the established norms. The grade obtained will account for 25% of the final grade for the subject.

b2) the activities of practices, seminars and problems (PLAB, PAUL and SEM): it will follow the same process of the continuous evaluation. The grade obtained will be 25% (Lab practicals) and 10% (seminars).


Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)


For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks—such as bibliographic or information searches, text editing, translation, or other specific situations deemed appropriate by the teaching staff. Students must clearly identify which parts were generated using this technology, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Failure to be transparent about the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may result in a partial or total grade penalty, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.


Bibliography

LITERATURE

BIBLIOGRAFIA BÀSICA

ALFONSO-DURRUTY, Marta P. 2024. Becoming Humans: An Introduction to Biological Anthropology. New Prairie Press.

BOYD, Robert; SILK, Joan B.; LANGERGRABER, Kevin. 2023. How Humans Evolved. 10th ed. W. W. Norton.

FUENTES, Agustín. 2018. Biological Anthropology: Concepts and Connections. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill.

HUMPHREY, Louise; STRINGER, Chris. 2018. Our Human Story: Where We Come From and How We Evolved. Natural History Museum.

MORAN, Emilio F. 2022. Human Adaptability: An Introduction to Ecological Anthropology. 4th ed. Routledge.

STONEKING, Mark. 2025. An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology. 2nd ed. Wiley.

STRIER, Karen B. 2021. Primate Behavioral Ecology. 6th ed. Routledge.

BURGER, Oskar; LEE, Ronald; SEAR, Rebecca, eds. 2024. Human Evolutionary Demography. Open Book Publishers.


BIBLIOGRAFIA COMPLEMENTÀRIA

FLEAGLE, John G. 2013. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. 3rd ed. Academic Press.

JOBLING, Mark; HOLLOX, Edward; HURLES, Matthew; KIVISILD, Toomas; TYLER-SMITH, Chris. 2013. Human Evolutionary Genetics. 2nd ed. Garland Science.

ROBERTS, Alice, ed.-in-chief. 2026. Humans: The Evolution of a Species. DK.

TREVATHAN, Wenda. 2010. Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives: How Evolution Has Shaped Women’s Health. Oxford University Press.

FUENTES, Agustín. 2022. Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You: Busting Myths about Human Nature. 2nd ed. University of California Press.

LEWIS, Anna C. F. et al. 2022. “Getting genetic ancestry right for science and society”. Science, 376: 250–252.

SCERRI, Eleanor M. L. et al. 2018. Did Our Species Evolve in Subdivided Populations across Africa, and Why Does It Matter?”. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 33: 582–594

SPECIFIC LITERATURE

It will be given during the course.

Software


Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 64 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 641 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 641 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 641 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 642 Catalan first semester afternoon