Title: Physical Anthropology Anthropology 1
1Physical Anthropology Anthropology 1
- Winter2013
- Katherine Schaefers, Instructor
- Office 3102
- OH 1000-1100am Mondays
- 715-745am, Tuesday/Thursday
2To make the strange familiar, and the familiar
strange
- Strangeness, the unfamiliar is scary and can lead
to misguided feelings of anger and hate, which
may eventually lead to warfare and death. - Most interpersonal or inter-group conflicts are
caused by a lack of understanding. - Discovering similarities between ones own
culture and that of others leads to more
harmonious relationships.
3Anthropology
- The study of humanity
- Greek Anthropos (Man) logy (study of)
- Also, an integrated study of humanity
- Holism Integrating as many different aspects of
human society (like psychology, politics,
religion, customs, institutions like marriage,
funerary rituals, gender, subsistence economy,
etc.) to create the most complete picture
possible. - Goal of Anthropology?
- Why do we study other people? What can be
gained?
4Anthropologys Traditional Fields
- Physical (Biological)
- This class!
- Human Biology and Evolution
- Genetics, DNA studies, evolutionary theory,
primate behavior, paleontology, fossil record. - Archaeology
- Physical and Cultural remains
- Linguistics
- Origins and distribution of language
- Cultural
- Social organization, economics, technology,
political organization, marriage, family life. - These 4 fields are rarely mutually exclusive
todays anthropology scene is very fluid, often
incorporating techniques from outside disciplines
like psychology (study of the human psyche/mind)
and sociology (study of human society).
5Main goal of Physical Anthropology?
- Why is physical anthropology a scientific
discipline, and what is its importance to the
general public?
6To understand why we are the way we are, we need
to know
How evolution works
How evolution works in other primates
The history of the human lineage
How natural selection shapes human minds, bodies,
and behavior
7Physical Anthropology Challenges
- Evolution
- A change in the genetic structure of a population
from one generation to the next. - Adaptation
- An anatomical, physiological, or behavioral
response of organisms or populations to the
environment. - Adaptations result from evolutionary change.
8Evolution
- 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).
9Species
- A group of organisms that can interbreed to
produce fertile offspring. - Members of one species are reproductively
isolated from members of all other species (that
is, they cant mate with them to produce fertile
offspring).
10HomininsA grouping of similar human-ish species
that includes we Humans!and extinct bipedal
relatives
- Hominins are members of the evolutionary lineage
that includes ourselves, modern Homo sapiens.
(used to be called Hominids) - Reduced canine teeth
- Non-prehensile big toes
- Pelvis and legs reflect habitual bipedalism
- Extreme brain enlargement and elaboration
- Habitually walking bipedally (on two feet) is a
critical feature of the hominins.
11PrimatesThe only living Primate that is also a
Hominin iswe Humans!
- Humans are members of the Order Primates, the
group of mammals that includes apes, monkeys,
tarsiers, lemurs and lorises.
Note Physical Anthropologists who study the
living non-human Primates are called
Primatologists
12Apes
Gorilla
Chimapnzees
Orangutan
13Monkeys
Capuchin Monkey
Japanese Macaques
14Lemurs and Lorises
Slow Loris
Ring Tail Lemur
Galago (Bush baby)
15Tarsiers
16Culture
- Culture is learned, and the process of learning
ones culture begins at birth. - Some aspects of Culture
- technologies
- subsistence patterns
- housing types
- clothing
- religion
- marriage and family
- values
- gender roles
- The human predisposition to assimilate culture
and function within it is profoundly influenced
by biological factors. - Over time, culture and biology interacted in such
a way that humans are said to be the result of
biocultural evolution.
17Biocultural Evolution
- The mutual, interactive evolution of human
biology and culture. - The concept that biology makes culture possible
and that developing culture further influences
the direction of biological evolution.
Macroevolution example
Australopithecine skull
Human skull
18Behavior
- Anything organisms do that involves action in
response to internal or external stimuli. - The response of an individual, group, or species
to its environment. - Responses may or may not be deliberate,
- and arent necessarily the result of conscious
decision making.
19Predisposition
- The capacity or inclination to do something.
- An organisms capacity for behavioral or
anatomical modification is related to the
presence of preexisting traits.
The Story
20Anthropometry
- Measurement of human body
- Identifying human variation due to possible
adaptive significance - Identify genetic and other evolutionary factors
that produced variation
21Osteology
- The study of the human skeleton
- Bioarchaeology the study of skeletal remains
from archaeological sites
22Forensic Anthropology
- Application of anthropological techniques to
legal issues - Forensic anthropologists worked with identifying
remains of victims of the September 11, 2001
terrorist attacks in the United States.
23Paleopathology
- The study of disease and trauma in
archaeologically-derived skeletons - Investigates the prevalence of trauma, certain
infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies,
and conditions that may leave evidence in bone
24Paleoanthropology
- The interdisciplinary approach to the study of
earlier hominids, their chronology, physical
structure, archaeological remains, habitats, etc.
25Genetics
- The study of gene structure and action and the
patterns of inheritance of traits from parent to
offspring. - Genetic mechanisms are the foundation for
evolutionary change.
26DNA
- Deoxyribonucleic acid
- Double-stranded molecule that contains the
genetic code, a set of instructions for producing
bodily structures and functions. - DNA is a main component of chromosomes.