Transcript Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 1
Introduction to
Physical Anthropology
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.
Early Hominid Footprints Laetoli, Tanzania
The tracks to the left were made by one individual, while
those to the right appear to have been formed by two
individuals, the second stepping in the tracks of the first.
Species
A group of
organisms that
can interbreed to
produce fertile
offspring.
Evolution
A change in the genetic structure of a
population.
Adaptation
An anatomical, physiological, or behavioral
response of organisms or populations to the
environment.
Evolution
Microevolution
Macroevolution
Culture
Culture is the strategy by which humans adapt to
the natural environment.
Culture is learned
Biocultural Evolution
Over time, culture and biology interacted so
that humans are said to be the result of
biocultural evolution.
Culture
Strategies humans use to adapt to their
environment:
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technologies
subsistence patterns
housing types
clothing
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religion
marriage and family
values
gender roles
Worldview
General cultural orientation or perspective
shared by members of a society.
Behavior
Anything organisms do that involves action in
response to internal or external stimuli.
The response of an individual, group, or species to
its environment.
What Is Anthropology?
The study of humankind.
Integrates sociology, economics, history,
psychology, and biology.
Comprises four subfields:
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Cultural anthropology
Linguistics
Archaeology
Physical (or biological) anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
The study of all aspects of contemporary human
behavior.
– Ethnography
– Traditional cultures
– Modern/western cultures
Archaeology
Study and interpretation
of material remains
recovered from earlier
cultures.
Information about
culture comes from
artifacts and material
culture left by humans.
Linguistic Anthropology
Study of the origin of language and speech.
The use of language is a unique human
characteristic.
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
Paleoanthropology
Paleoanthropologists excavating at the Drimolen site, South
Africa.
Primate paleontology
The study of the primate fossil record that extends
back to the beginning of primate evolution some
60 million years ago (mya).
Virtually every year, fossil-bearing beds in North
America, Africa, Asia, and Europe yield new
discoveries.
By studying fossil primates and comparing them
with anatomically similar living species, primate
paleontologists are learning a great deal about
factors such as diet or locomotion in earlier forms.
Anthropometry
Anthropology student using spreading to measure cranial
length.
Modern Population Studies
This researcher is using a treadmill test to assess a
subject’s heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen
consumption.
Modern Population Studies
Dr. Kathleen Galvin
measures upper arm
circumference in a young
Maasai boy in Tanzania.
Data derived from various
body measurements,
including height and
weight, were used in a
health and nutrition study of
groups of Maasai cattle
herders.
Genetics and DNA
Genetics is 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.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the doublestranded molecule that contains the genetic code.
– DNA is a main component of chromosomes.
Cloning
Cloning and sequencing
methods are frequently
used to identify genes
in humans and
nonhuman primates.
This graduate student
identifies a genetically
modified bacterial
clone.
Primatology
The study of nonhuman primates.
Primatology
Yahaya Alamasi, a
member of the senior
field staff at Gombe
National Park,
Tanzania.
Alamasi is recording
behaviors in freeranging chimpanzees.
Osteology
The study of the skeleton.
A thorough knowledge of skeletal structure and
function is critical to the interpretation of fossil
material.
Paleopathology
Forensic Anthropology
An applied anthropological approach
Forensic anthropologists identify and
analyze human remains.
Forensic Anthropology
Physical anthropologists Lorna Pierce (left) and Judy Suchey
(center) working as forensic consultants.
The dog has just located a concealed human cranium during a
training session.
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic anthropologists at the location on Staten Island
where all materials from the World Trade Center were taken
for investigation after September 11, 2001.
The scientists are wearing HAZMAT (hazardous materials)
suits for protection.
Human Anatomy
Dr. Linda Levitch teaching a human anatomy class at
the University of North Carolina School of
Medicine.
Science
A body of knowledge gained through observation
and experimentation; from the Latin scientia,
meaning “knowledge.”
– A hypotheses is a provisional explanation of a
phenomenon.
– Hypotheses require verification or falsification
through testing.
– Empirical means to rely on experiment or
observation.
Western Science Methods
Analysis
– Inductive
– Deductive
Scientific Method
Data
Hypothesis
Theory/Law
Publish
Methods
– Empirical observations
• Objective
• Subjective
Scientific Testing
The precise repetition of an experiment or
expansion of observed data to provide
verification.
The procedure by which hypotheses and
theories are verified, modified, or discarded.
Physical Anthropology
and the Scientific Method
1. State the research problem.
2. Develop a hypothesis.
3. Test the hypothesis through data
collection and analysis.
4. If the hypothesis is verified, it becomes a
theory.
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.
Ethnocentric
Viewing other cultures from the inherently
biased perspective of one’s own culture.
Ethnocentrism often results in other cultures
being seen as inferior to one’s own.
For Next Week – Read Chapters 2 and 3