Essentials of Physical Anthropology

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Essentials of Physical Anthropology

• Sixth Edition

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Chapter 1

• Introduction

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Chapter Outline

• What is Anthropology?
• Cultural Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Linguistic Anthropology

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Chapter Outline

• Physical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology and the Scientific Method
• The Anthropological Perspective

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Hominids

• Humans are hominids, belonging to the taxonomic
  family Hominidae.
• Bipedalism, walking on two legs, is a critical
  feature of the hominids.
• Humans are members of the Order Primates, the
  group of mammals that includes prosimians,
  monkeys and apes.

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Issues for Physical Anthropologists

• Evolution
• A change in the genetic structure of a
  population.
• Adaptation
• Functional response of organisms or populations
  to the environment.
• Adaptation results from evolutionary change.

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Evolution

• Microevolution
• Small genetic changes that occur within a
  species.
• Macroevolution
• Changes that occur only after many generations,
  such as the appearance of a new species
  (speciation).

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Culture

• Strategies humans use to adapt to their
  environment

• technologies
• subsistence patterns
• housing types
• clothing

• religion
• marriage and family
• values
• gender roles

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Culture

• Culture is learned, and the process of learning
  ones culture begins at birth.
• Even though culture isnt genetically determined,
  the human predisposition to assimilate culture is
  influenced by genetics.
• Over time, culture and biology interacted in such
  a way that humans are said to be the result of
  biocultural evolution.

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What Is Anthropology?

• The study of humankind.
• Integrates sociology, economics, history,
  psychology, and biology.
• Comprises three subfields
• cultural anthropology
• archaeology
• physical (or biological) anthropology

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Cultural Anthropology

• Studies all aspects of human behavior.
• Subfields
• Urban anthropology deals with issues of inner
  cities.
• Medical anthropology explores relationship
  between culture and health.

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Archaeology

• Study and interpretation of material remains
  recovered from earlier cultures.
• Information about culture comes from artifacts
  and material culture left by early hominids.

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Linguistic Anthropology

• Study of the origin of language and speech.
• The use of language is a unique human
  characteristic.
• Relationship between culture and language
• How do members of a society perceive phenomena?
• How does the use of language shape perceptions?

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Physical Anthropology

• Study of human biology in the framework of
  evolution.
• Subfields
• Paleoanthropology - human evolution
• Anthropometry - measurement of body parts
• Primatology study of nonhuman primates
• Osteology study of skeletons

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Physical Anthropologyand the Scientific Method

• State the research problem.
• Develop a hypothesis.
• Test the hypothesis through data collection and
  analysis.
• If the hypothesis is verified, it becomes a
  theory.

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Anthropological Perspective

• A broad perspective that helps us understand the
  diversity of the human experience within the
  context of biological and behavioral continuity
  with other species.
• By learning about cultures other than our own, we
  can avoid an ethnocentric view of other cultures.
  
• By recognizing that we have similarities with
  other animals, we may recognize that they have a
  place in nature just as we do.

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Quick Quiz
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• 1. The mammalian group that humans belong to is
  the Order
• Carnivora.
• Rodentia.
• Primates.
• Chiroptera.

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Answer c

• The mammalian group that humans belong to is the
  Order Primates.

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• 2. Culture is
• inherited by a simple genetic transmission.
• a biological trait of our species.
• learned.
• the strategy by which many mammals adapt to their
  environment.

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Answer c

• Culture is learned.

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• 3. Anthropologists who conduct excavations in
  order to recover artifacts are
• archaeologists
• ethnologists
• linguists
• medical anthropologists

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Answer a

• Anthropologists who conduct excavations in order
  to recover artifacts are archaeologists.

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• 4. Physical anthropologists developed techniques
  for measuring the human body. These type of
  measurements are called
• calibration
• dermatoglyphics
• genetics
• anthropometrics

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Answer d

• Physical anthropologists developed techniques for
  measuring the human body. These type of
  measurements are called anthropometrics.