LEWISTON – A new course that examines the origins of humankind from biological and cultural perspectives will be offered this fall at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College.

The course, “Evolution of Human Culture,” focuses on three dimensions: the biological changes that preceded and followed the emergence of humankind; the cultural innovations that followed the biological evolution of humans and later triggered rapid social changes as well as changes of nature; and the environmental factors that might have contributed to human adaptation and are now under siege of human influences.

The course takes a chronological framework, and topics include the primates, the split between humans and primates from their common ancestor, the evolutionary tree of diverse hormonid species and the emergence of the modern human.

The instructors are David Harris, Ph.D., associate professor of natural and applied sciences, and Hsin-yi Lu, Ph.D., assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences.

“This course explores the question of how humans became human,” said Harris. “It combines anthropology and biology to examine the physical and cultural changes that occurred during human evolution, and discusses the contribution of environmental factors to these changes.”

Harris also noted that the course includes discussion of lessons from human evolution that pertain to current social issues.

The three-credit course (SCI 399) will meet from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays, beginning Sept. 12. It requires good writing skills, but does not assume previous background. It is open to all interested students.

Registration for this and other fall semester courses is open through the first week of classes. The complete fall semester course listing is available on-line at www.usm.maine.edu/lac/schedules. Call 753-6500 for more information or advising assistance.