1. Begin by explaining the term “life history”.. What are the critical theoretical principles underlying life history theory? What are the important contextual factors that influence the life course (between species and between individuals of the same species)? What role does behavior play in influencing fitness? 2. What do you consider to be the TWO most important “life history decisions” in your own life (past, present, or future)? Why are they so important? What kinds of considerations are involved in making these decisions? What are the limitations or tradeoffs that affect your eventual choices and outcomes?
3. As an anthropologist of your own life, discuss how the concepts from evolutionary theory, life history theory, and human biology that you have learned in the course are relevant to understanding you (or someone similar to you) as a human. Feel free to also address issues that you are struggling to understand. 4. Contrast your life history with that of the person you interviewed. Using logic or concepts from evolutionary anthropology, discuss why you think these similarities and differences occur. Do you think that each of you are making decisions that are most appropriate (or adaptive?) given the obstacles that you face? Explain. 5. How do your life history decisions differ from those of hunter-gatherers living in environments more similar to those in which the human species evolved? Using logic or concepts from evolutionary anthropology, discuss why you think these similarities and differences occur. Do you think that each of you are making decisions that are most appropriate (or adaptive?) given the obstacles that you face? Explain.