SIFT 102 Human Adaptability

Division of Liberal Arts

3 credits 45.0 hours
100 level undergraduate course

This course examines relationships between environmental resources, technology, and power in production systems ranging from hunter-gatherer to industrial. Jared Diamond’s ‘Guns, Germs, and Steel’ forms the core of the course with his discussion of the geographical context of domestication of plants and animals and how they might have ultimately affected the world distribution of power. Various ecosystems (deserts, grasslands, arctic, tropical and temperate forests, and high-altitude) will be considered along with their advantages and disadvantages for domestication and human adaptation. The scientific questions underlying these geographical and ecological investigations will be considered throughout the term.

Requires enrollment in an undergraduate degree program.
Completion of COMP*099 if required by English placement exam.
Completion of COMP*101 if required by English placement exam
This course is not repeatable for credit.
This course is equated with the following courses: SIFT*111, SIFT*101, LACR*221, SIFT*102, SIFT*103, SIFT*104, LACR*224, SIFT*105, SIFT*106, LACR*226, SIFT*107, LACR*227, SIFT*108, SIFT*109, LACR*229, LACR*229, LACR*229, LACR*229, LACR*22X, SIFT*110, LACR*220, LACR*221, LACR*222, LACR*223, LACR*224, LACR*225, LACR*226, LACR*227, LACR*228, LACR*229, LACR*230