96466 - Biocultural Variations and the Evolution of Food Systems

Learning outcomes

This module aims to reconstruct the evolution of the interactions of human populations with the food environment and resources, examining the links between biology and culture. Students will acquire knowledge of human biodiversity to understand the origin, evolution and spread of different food systems in human populations.

Course contents

The course consists of the following topics:

• Human evolution and the evolution of diet.
  i)Technological achievements, morphological changes, brain growth, language acquisition, domestication of fire, socialisation.
  ii) Influence of geographical, climatic and food resource variables on human evolutionary history.
  

• Human biodiversity, food environment and resources (Part I).
  Evolution of the human diet, hunter-gatherers; Neolithic transition; domestication of plants; origin and spread of agriculture; domestication of animals.

• Human biodiversity, food environment and resources (Part II).
  i) The process of urbanisation; the industrial revolution, cultural and technological evolution and the resulting transformations of lifestyles, dietary changes and maladaptive phenomena.
  ii) Evolutionary and developmental mismatches and human diseases.
  iii) Obesity and diabetes in human populations.

• Human ecology and human-environment interaction.
  i) Biological and cultural adaptation processes in relation to different food systems: homeostasis and human adaptability; genetic adaptation and natural selection; epigenetic variability, phenotypic adaptation.
  ii) Nutrition and diet during the life course in different human groups and effect on human biological and physiological variability (e.g. geography of thyroid functioning, stature, ageing).
  iii) Gene-culture co-evolution.
  iv) Genetic variability of taste.
  v) Population genetics as a tool for reconstructing the history of human communities.
  
  

Readings/Bibliography

Power point presentations and Word documents prepared specifically for the course. Each lecture will include sources and indications to specific chapters of reference texts for each topic covered.

 

Below are some of the books suggested:

 

• ONLY Italian version:
• G. ROTILIO Il migratore onnivoro - Storia e geografia della nutrizione umana. Carocci Editore
• J. Moggi Cecchi, L. Sineo: Manuale di antropologia. Evoluzione e biodiversità umana. UTET Università. 2022

• Italian version: D. E. LIEBERMAN: La storia del corpo umano. Evoluzione, salute e malattia. Codice Ed., 2014.
• English version: D. E. LIEBERMAN: The Story of the Human Body. Penguin Books Ltd. 2014

 

• Italian version: J. DIAMOND: Il mondo fino a ieri. Che cosa possiamo imparare dalle società tradizionali? Einaudi 2013
• English version: J. DIAMOND: The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? Penguin Books Ltd. 2013
  

 

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures related to the programme topics. Power point slides will be provided to students before each lecture. The course includes the analysis, commentary and discussion of specific case studies.

Assessment methods

Learning will be assessed through an oral examination. The exam consists of two parts, both of which must be taken during the same exam session.

The grade, expressed in thirtieths, will then be averaged with the grade from the other component of the integrated course taught by Professor Giovanna Pezzi.

 

Assessment Criteria:

• An excellent evaluation will be awarded to students who demonstrate a comprehensive, coherent, and well-reasoned understanding of the topics covered, as well as the ability to articulate their ideas with clarity and precision.
• A fair evaluation will be assigned to those whose expression is generally appropriate but occasionally imprecise, and whose knowledge tends to be mechanical or based primarily on memorization.
• A sufficient mark will be given in cases of limited knowledge and inadequate linguistic expression.
• Serious deficiencies in both content knowledge and language use will result in a poor evaluation.

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Lesson slides, National Geographic video.

Office hours

See the website of Cristina Giuliani