anthro EXAM Flashcards
What is anthropology?
the systematic study of various elements of humans, including:
Biology- What are our evolutionary origins?
Culture- How do beliefs and customs evolve?
What are some fundamental questions that an anthropologist might ask?
Where did we come from?
What does it mean to be “human”?
Where are we headed?
How does the study of anthropology relate to the understanding of humans?
list and briefly describe the differences between the branches of Anthropology.
How are we different from animals?
What are the differences between Primates and Humans?
Do you agree with Darwin’s theory of evolution? Why or why not? Explain.
‘Social Darwinism took Darwin’s theory in a direction that Charles Darwin never intended.’
Agree or disagree? Explain.
Explain the differences between Nature vs. Nurture?
What is the difference between Material vs. non-material culture?
What is the difference between Physical, cultural and linguistic anthropology?
What are the ethical guidelines for anthropological research?
Who is Raymond Dart? What did he find?
In 1924, Raymond Dart found a skull in at a quarry in Taung South Africa of the species Australopithecus africanus which was 3.2 million years old. He determined the skull to be human whom walked upright but had a small brain. He named his discovery Taung’s Child
Raymond Dart was the first person to provide evidence of the African origin of humanity.
Who are Mary and Louis Leakey? What did they discover?
1959: The Leakeys discovered a fossilized skull in Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania of the species Paranthropus boisei, they used radiometric dating to determine skull was1.75 million years ago.
1976: Mary Leakey then found the Laetoli footprints which was a line of hominid fossil footprints of three people which were then preserved in volcanic ash.
What is bipedalism?
Bipedalism is the trait of habitually walking on two legs rather than on all four. This is a trait that is exclusive to humans, that began more than 3.6 million years ago.
Traits of bipedalism in fossiles; s-shaped spine, wide, flat pelvis, slanting thigh bone, double arched foot
Who were Neanderthals and provide 5 key elements about them that anthropologists know for sure.
Neanderthals were They lived all over Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia at the end of the ice age.
Their bodies are characterized as short, heavy, muscular as an adaptation to cold climate
They had larger brains than modern humans do: 1450 cubed cm, but they had fewer cognitive abilities
They had a protruding nose, heavy brow ridges and a little chin
They made stone and bone tools (used spears), crafted clothing which covered 80% of their body, and lived in caves
They are humans closest relative (not Africans’ though) and share circa 98% of their DNA with them
They were cannibalistic and used their bodies in rigorous ways
Co-existed with humans and then disappeared
What are some things that anthropologists can learn from bones and stones?
Bones;
- Bipedalism: traits found in Lucy that indicated bipedalism include: inward slant of the thigh
- Femur length indicates height
- Wear on pelvis reveals weight
- Eruption of molars / wisdom teeth and signs of wear indicate adulthood
- Small canine tooth: female
- Curve of skull fragments: size of brain
species of human ancestors can be used to explain evolution
- Indicate humanity’s African origin
STONES;
- Stone tools help accurately date a site and discover more about the homininis who used them
- Oldest stone tools are large cobbles which are 2.5 million years old
- anthropologists can use stones to determine what they were used for which provides insights about the lives and habits of human ancestors
- Flakes could be used for butchering animals or whittle wood into sharp sticks
- Chopper can be used for cutting branches or cutting through tough animal joints
- Microscopic analysis of cut marks on animal bones can be used to determine the use of a stone tool: whether a hominin tool was used to make the marks or if they were caused by an animal or through erosion
- Polish on a tool can reveal: whether it was used to cut meat, wood or plants
What makes humans similar and different from other primates?
similarities:
The bond between mothers and infants is important for survival in all primate species —> Infants have to learn most of survival
Primates have the longest infant dependency period of all mammals: Measured as the time until an individual can successfully reproduce
All primate societies have dominance hierarchies and aggression among the males for access to food and females
All primates groom one another: They spend a lot of time picking fleas and lice out of each others hair/fur. Grooming helps primates reduce stress and it is also related to dominance hierarchies. The higher the primate in the hierarchy, the more likely he is to be groomed than to groom others.
All primates communicate through facial expressions,touch, vocalizations, and body language. They play, laugh, show grief, become angry and become violent as well.
All primates have rotating forearms, grasping hands and forward facing eyes, and relatively larger brains
Differences:
Humans are the only species adapted to bipedalism
Humans have the longest infant dependency period of any primate: On average we reproduce at about 20 years old whereas chimpanzees reproduce at 10.
Humans are the only primates with a symbolic,spoken language and the physical ability of speech
Humans are the only primates who live in groups and mate in pairs. Some primates such as chimpanzees mate and live in groups, whereas orangutans mate and live in pairs, but humans are the only primate who do both at the same time
Humans are the only primates who actually develop ideas and beliefs about the world that guide their actions. Humans have the ability to think and reflect on their own behaviour. They develop complex systems of morality and spirituality that influence and motivate behaviour.
How do primatologists study primates?
They observe primates in their natural habitats and also in laboratories
Often primatologists will live amongst primates to observe their behaviour while learning to imitate their calls and gestures and eat their food (essentially become one of their own) to gain the animals’ trust
Or, they may work in laboratory settings observing and testing primates in motion, studying their communication patterns, or teaching them to use human language
—>is a better way of understanding specific behaviour or anatomical traits than when examining them in the wild
How much of our DNA do we share with other primates?
We share roughly 98% of our DNA with certain great apes
Who is Jane Goodall and what did she study?
Jane Goodall is a primatologist most known for her long-term study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania
Went into the forest to study the lives of chimpanzees
Discovered that survival of their species was threatened by habitat destruction and illegal trafficking
Developed a break-through approach to species conservation that improves the lives of people, animals and the environment
She witnessed chimpanzees making and using tools, debunking the common theory that humans were the only primates who made tools
Noted that chimps can be cannibalistic and violent, waging war on other troops.
Goodall began assisting paleontologist and anthropologist Louis Leakey
In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute
Who is Dian Fossey and what did she study?
Famous anthropologist who observed gorillas in Rwanda
She set up a tent in the Rwandan forest to save a species on the brink of extinction
Gorillas in the Mist: Movie
